Martin St-Louis said it would make difficult decisions to place the final pieces of its puzzle. The day after the final preseason game, a 6-4 win over the Senators in Ottawa, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton placed two players on waivers: Joel Armia and Gustav Lindstrom.
Armia is clearly no longer part of the Canadian’s plans. But with a salary of 3.4 million for this season and next, the Finn has just as much chance of being claimed by one of the 31 other teams as of being struck by lightning.
In 43 games last year, the 30-year-old winger scored 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists). Goals and passes are expensive.
Marc Bergevin offered him a contract extension of four years and 13.6 million on July 27, 2021. Armia had just had a good run in the playoffs with eight points (5 goals, 3 assists) in 21 games. Just like CH’s presence in the final, the Finn’s game was more of a mirage than pure reality.
Armia was selected in the first round (16th) by the Buffalo Sabers in 2011 and has always been described as a mysterious winger. In Montreal, Claude Julien, Dominique Ducharme and St-Louis gave similar speeches about him, reminding us that he has all the talent in the world, but doesn’t always have the will to win.
Armia took part in two of his team’s six preseason games and scored no points.
A saving of 1.15 million
If Armia ever continues on its path with the Laval rocket, Hughes and Gorton would save $1.15 million.
Under the collective bargaining agreement, NHL teams can burn a lump sum by dealing a player to the American League on a one-way contract. The calculation is as follows: minimum salary ($775,000 in 2023-2024) plus $375,000.
Armia, on the other hand, would earn his entire salary. Note that number 40 will affect 4.8 million people in 2023-2024, but its salary footprint will remain at 3.4 million.
This rule allows players making $1.15 million or less to completely disappear from the team’s payroll when they move to the American League. This would be the case with Lindström ($950,000).
More details to follow.