All Montreal Canadiens fans know that Joel Armia will be a UFA after the season ends. Surprisingly, the Canadiens haven’t locked him up before this season began, and now with the year he’s having and this Four Nations appearance, there’s no doubt his price has gone up.
Related: Joel Armia Has Improved This Season
I remember Armia in his draft year back in 2011. I knew he could play in the NHL but I thought he was going to be a high-caliber offensive player and so did the Buffalo Sabres. He is a success story because he’s played in 561 games in a manner nobody expected. He re-invented himself and became one of the reliable bottom-six players in the NHL and for that, he will get a raise.
The Four Nations tournament has a lot of eyeballs on it and a ton of media coverage. GMs will be watching intently as well and that’s where Armia’s play could set him up for a good payday. All he needs is one general manager to fall in love with his play. That’s it, a contending team could see him as a vital piece to fix a weakness.
If Armia gets 15 goals this season and scores one or two and looks good in this tournament, he could get another four-year deal. That deal would take him to 36. Most teams would be willing to take on that low risk.
We will see what kind of minutes Armia sees in the tournament. That will be interesting. Sometimes players are in different roles than what we see in the NHL. That part will be fascinating.
