Player Discussion Joel Armia - Your favorite Finnish player Edition

[ahmedou]

Empty net GOAT

 

[Hoochi Papa]

Yeah I'm really not sold on retaining the services of the 32 year old who's only had 1.5 good seasons out of his most recent 4 year contract. Oh and he happens to be in a contract year right now.

I like Armia plenty and his recent form is exciting but Hughes is paid to manage assets and he needs to 'manage' to replace Armia with a younger, faster option even if it costs draft picks or futures. Armia's had a lot of bad games too. A lot.

Armia and Evans should happily chase the bag as FAs and I wish them well in their pursuit.

Pay for the skill, not will. It would be a very Bozovin thing to keep Armia and Evans at market value. It was this kind of deals that clogged the Canadiens' cap. After the 2021 extension, we saw Armia's true colours. He had an elite salary for a 4th line player, and most of the time he was a liability.

The same could happen with Evans. I don't feel comfortable paying him based on a contract year. If the combined salaries of Armia and Evans are 7-8 million, it will be a problem sooner or later. Based on Gallagher, it could be a problem as soon as the ink is dry.

Great players to have when they're relatively young and the price is right. But it's the type of deal you move on once contract has expired and let Islanders pay them in free agency. Armia proved it already. Kudos to them for being this good but if it's bottom-6 players that your team is missing, you're not doing it right. Overpay for Rantanen and let youngsters, borderline NHL players, veterans on PTO and less exciting free agents willing to play close to a minimum show what they got.

When Armia had one of the best 4th lines I've seen a while with Corey Perry and Eric Staal, BargainBin rewarded Armia, instead realizing that there are veteran players who are willing to change their role and play for peanuts to remain relevant. It was the skillset of Perry and Staal that made it so special. You could tell they still had a lot of offensive talent left while grinding with a grit. That is the type of player Montréal should search for.

 

[EXPOS123]

Pay for the skill, not will. It would be a very Bozovin thing to keep Armia and Evans at market value. It was this kind of deals that clogged the Canadiens' cap. After the 2021 extension, we saw Armia's true colours. He had an elite salary for a 4th line player, and most of the time he was a liability.

The same could happen with Evans. I don't feel comfortable paying him based on a contract year. If the combined salaries of Armia and Evans are 7-8 million, it will be a problem sooner or later. Based on Gallagher, it could be a problem as soon as the ink is dry.

Great players to have when they're relatively young and the price is right. But it's the type of deal you move on once contract has expired and let Islanders pay them in free agency. Armia proved it already. Kudos to them for being this good but if it's bottom-6 players that your team is missing, you're not doing it right. Overpay for Rantanen and let youngsters, borderline NHL players, veterans on PTO and less exciting free agents willing to play close to a minimum show what they got.

Great post - totally agree

 

[ReHabs]

Pay for the skill, not will. It would be a very Bozovin thing to keep Armia and Evans at market value. It was this kind of deals that clogged the Canadiens' cap. After the 2021 extension, we saw Armia's true colours. He had an elite salary for a 4th line player, and most of the time he was a liability.

The same could happen with Evans. I don't feel comfortable paying him based on a contract year. If the combined salaries of Armia and Evans are 7-8 million, it will be a problem sooner or later. Based on Gallagher, it could be a problem as soon as the ink is dry.

Great players to have when they're relatively young and the price is right. But it's the type of deal you move on once contract has expired and let Islanders pay them in free agency. Armia proved it already. Kudos to them for being this good but if it's bottom-6 players that your team is missing, you're not doing it right. Overpay for Rantanen and let youngsters, borderline NHL players, veterans on PTO and less exciting free agents willing to play close to a minimum show what they got.

Hoochi Papa! Well said.

With Armia we know what we have (an illusion) but with Evans especially I don't want to fall into the trap. See below, his shooting percentage the last two season, this season, and in bold his career average shooting percentage. Fool's gold to give him a UFA-style contract. Let him get it from the Isles or whatever, we need to focus on building the core and retaining Laine.

 

[Marioesque]

I’ve been saying for almost 2 years that they should resign him.
I cannot believe that they couldn’t trade him at the deadline last year to a contender. Teams must be kicking themselves. The guy is a beast on the boards and steals pucks like it’s food for his hungry family!


No team wins without a solid 4th liner.

This is why he's playing in the 4 nations tournament, not because of his offensive talent. He's a great defensive forward for 4th line and PK specialist. An important role player.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Pay for the skill, not will. It would be a very Bozovin thing to keep Armia and Evans at market value. It was this kind of deals that clogged the Canadiens' cap. After the 2021 extension, we saw Armia's true colours. He had an elite salary for a 4th line player, and most of the time he was a liability.

The same could happen with Evans. I don't feel comfortable paying him based on a contract year. If the combined salaries of Armia and Evans are 7-8 million, it will be a problem sooner or later. Based on Gallagher, it could be a problem as soon as the ink is dry.

Great players to have when they're relatively young and the price is right. But it's the type of deal you move on once contract has expired and let Islanders pay them in free agency. Armia proved it already. Kudos to them for being this good but if it's bottom-6 players that your team is missing, you're not doing it right. Overpay for Rantanen and let youngsters, borderline NHL players, veterans on PTO and less exciting free agents willing to play close to a minimum show what they got.

We have plenty of guys on cheap contracts. No need to scrape the bottom of the cap barrel up front like we did on defence for the past two years.

Look at the glue effect a competent young veteran like Carrier has had!

Within the system, Demidov replaces and upgrades on Dvorak.by bumping a 2nd liner to the 3rd.

We have two POSSIBLE guys to be the next regular bottom sixer and help the team, Beck and Kapanen. OK, say one of them works out. That replaces and upgrades on Pezzetta. I'm not even sure that either Beck or Kapanen is capable of 15-20 goals in the short term like Emil Heineman is, but we will see.

Evans is pretty much a must sign (or replace with EQUAL skill) at the age of 28-29.

Armia soon turning 32 I would only keep on a short contract. Pay market value for a 25-30 point PKer with size but avoid any long-term cap risk.

Same with Savard, one year deal at whatever a competent 3rd pairing guy should make. Hopefully Reinbacher or Struble is ready to step in by the 2026 TDL, to play valuable minutes.

I agree that Hughes' job is to manage assets, but the strategy is not the same as in 2022 when he had to tear things down (moving Toffoli and Lehkonen, for example) and go through 3 down years. Besides having two young veteran D-men who are still mobile, Suzuki turns 26 soon, Laine 27, Dach/Caufield/Newhook/Xhekaj 24. This is not the time to plan for more down years.

The salary cap is there to be used, smartly yes, but not hoarded in a Scrooge-like manner.

 

[windycity]

So frustrating to see this guy suddenly play his heart out in his contract year. Last season, he played like he didn't give a shit.

He's been playing very well since he came back last season from being sent down to the AHL

 

[Habs Halifax]

Pay for the skill, not will. It would be a very Bozovin thing to keep Armia and Evans at market value. It was this kind of deals that clogged the Canadiens' cap. After the 2021 extension, we saw Armia's true colours. He had an elite salary for a 4th line player, and most of the time he was a liability.

The same could happen with Evans. I don't feel comfortable paying him based on a contract year. If the combined salaries of Armia and Evans are 7-8 million, it will be a problem sooner or later. Based on Gallagher, it could be a problem as soon as the ink is dry.

Great players to have when they're relatively young and the price is right. But it's the type of deal you move on once contract has expired and let Islanders pay them in free agency. Armia proved it already. Kudos to them for being this good but if it's bottom-6 players that your team is missing, you're not doing it right. Overpay for Rantanen and let youngsters, borderline NHL players, veterans on PTO and less exciting free agents willing to play close to a minimum show what they got.

When Armia had one of the best 4th lines I've seen a while with Corey Perry and Eric Staal, BargainBin rewarded Armia, instead realizing that there are veteran players who are willing to change their role and play for peanuts to remain relevant. It was the skillset of Perry and Staal that made it so special. You could tell they still had a lot of offensive talent left while grinding with a grit. That is the type of player Montréal should search for.

I doubt Hughes is the type to overpay for middle or bottom of the line-up assets. Basically, the decision will be left with Evans and Armia and if they really want to stay, we are looking for team friendly deals. And that is not something more than 3 years.

If they are after max money and term, let them chase it with someone else. We have to be careful with Evans. This is not a Gallagher or Armia situation. Evans has been very consistent and trying to replace him is not easy. Armia can be replaced easier.