Montreal Canadiens winger Joel Armia potted his second career hat trick Thursday, providing half of the goals in a 6-2 triumph over the Capitals. Armia started the three-goal effort with a short-handed tally, added one marker in an even-strength situation, and wrapped up his night with an empty-netter. The 29-year-old scored his first hat trick against the Rangers in March 2019. Armia has had all kinds of health issues this season and skated in only his 40th game Thursday. He's done very little on the offensive front, going for seven goals and seven assists.
Forward Joel Armia agreed to a four-year contract with a $3.4 million AAV to remain with the Montreal Canadiens and forgo the open market as an unrestricted free agent. The middle-six winger isn't a huge scorer but he has massive value in real-life hockey due to his defensive skills, size, and penalty-killing abilities. The 28-year-old scored two short-handed goals during Montreal's unexpected playoff run that saw the club fall to the Tampa Lightning in the Stanley Cup final series. In the regular season, the native of Finland scored just seven goals with 14 total points in 41 games but he had previously scored at least 10 goals over the previous four seasons. He's not likely to be a fantasy target unless the league rewards short-handed goals/points.
Joel Armia Ready To Return To Lineup Wednesday Night
Montreal Canadiens winger Joel Armia will return to the lineup on Wednesday against Calgary after missing over three weeks of action due to COVID-19. The 27-year-old will be back in action as a second-liner alongside Nick Suzuki and Montreal's top goal-scorer Tyler Toffoli. Armia has five goals and 10 points for the season in 24 games with 46 shots and 46 hits. Fantasy managers needing some offensive help as the regular season draws to a close should have a look at Armia, who had a productive start to the campaign whilst playing with Toffoli. Jake Allen starts in the net for the Canadiens, heading into the clash with a 6-6-4 record.
Joel Armia, Jesperi Kotkaniemi Enter COVID-19 List
Montreal Canadiens forwards Joel Armia and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were added to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols list on Monday, and they will miss Monday's home game against Edmonton. It's a bitter blow for the Canadiens, who were already set to be without Tyler Toffoli for the whole week. Armia and Kotkaniemi have had some success on the team's third line throughout the season, but they have been quiet lately. Especially Armia, who comes out of the lineup with a six-game point drought. Former MVP Corey Perry should get a bigger role with all the absentees, with other depth forwards benefiting as well.
Montreal Canadiens winger Joel Armia struck twice against the Jets in Thursday's 6-3 loss, joining Tomas Tatar on the scoreboard. Armia made it 2-0 and Tatar produced a power-play goal to put the Habs 3-1 up, but the Jets ended up ruining Dominique Ducharme's debut as Montreal head coach. Armia ended a six-game dry spell with the two-goal effort and now has four goals and 10 points for the year in 12 outings. His numbers are deceiving, though, as Armia had a four-point outing on Jan. 21. The 27-year-old winger has battled with health issues during the season and has dropped to the fourth line, so fantasy managers should ignore him for now, but Armia could have some value if he moves up the lineup.
Joel Armia Suffers Concussion During Four-Point Night
Montreal Canadiens right wing Joel Armia had a superb outing against the Canucks on Thursday, finishing a 7-3 win with four points. He had two goals and two assists with half of the points coming in short-handed situations. Armia posted a nice plus-three rating in the contest and had three shots on goal. However, his night sadly ended on a negative note when he suffered a concussion in the third period following an illegal check to the head by Tyler Myers. Armia has been part of a very productive third line that includes the red-hot Tyler Toffoli, so this could be a major blow to Montreal's offense.
