The Washington Capitals are reportedly in the market for another forward at this year’s trade deadline and have been recently linked to several potential candidates.
According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, the latest rumor centers around Montreal Canadiens winger Joel Armia. Washington is reportedly one of several teams interested in the Finnish forward, joining the Tampa Bay Lightning, Vegas Golden Knights, and Edmonton Oilers.
Armia is a former Sabres first-round pick, going 16th overall to Buffalo in the 2011 NHL Draft. Armia made his NHL debut with Buffalo before being dealt to the Winnipeg Jets in 2015 in a trade that saw Evander Kane and Zach Bogosian head the other way. He played 179 games with the Jets before being traded to the Canadiens in a 2018 salary-cap dump move.
The 6-foot-3, 216-pound forward had his best individual year with Montreal during the 2019-20 campaign. Armia recorded 30 points (16g, 14a) in 58 games before that season was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He is on pace to set a new career-high in points this season, tallying 24 points (10g, 14a) through 58 games.
Armia played in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final between the Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning. He holds 44 total games of playoff experience, recording 15 points (10g, 5a) in those games.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis is currently deploying Armia on the team’s checking line with Emil Heineman and Jake Evans. He ranks behind only Evans among Montreal forwards in average shorthanded ice time per game (2:38) and has scored three shorthanded goals this season, tied for third-most in the NHL.
Armia is playing in the final season of the four-year, $13.6 million contract ($3.4 million AAV) he signed with Montreal in 2021. The 31-year-old winger will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year.
