Canadian Joel Armie's unlikely resurgence – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

With another season at the bottom of the standings about to come to an end, fans can start to reflect on the many achievements the team has made since October. Juraj Slafkovskiy, fresh off his first career hat trick, has gone from a player with eight points in the team's first 31 games to a completely different player. Nick Suzuki became the first Canadian center to score 30 goals since 1995-96 and became the first player to reach 75 since Alex Kovalev in 2008-09. Mike Matheson nearly doubled his previous career high for points, while Cole Caulfield reached 60 points for the first time in his young career.

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However, despite the bulk of the team's veterans suffering a steep decline in production (Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Tanner Pearson), one veteran player surprisingly stood out above the rest, putting up career records after starting the season in the American Hockey League (AHL). ) for the first time since 2015-16.

The army overcame the challenge

The Canadiens cut Joel Armia during training camp and he was not on their roster on opening night of the 2023-24 season. The 30-year-old Army is coming off his third straight 14-point season and his game no longer reflects the four-year, $13.6 million contract he signed through the summer of 2021. Many young talents emerge and find roles in them. For his team, the Finnish forward's struggles have taken precedence over focusing on developing their young players through another rebuilding season.

The Army took his demotion kindly. Never missing a beat with the AHL's Laval Rockets, he recorded an impressive six goals and nine points in just eight games before earning a call-up to the NHL (though Kirby Dutch's season-ending injury two games into the season allowed that move). Despite the recall, he still saw limited minutes in the bottom six, playing less than 13 minutes in half of his first 12 games. He wasn't as productive right away as he was in the AHL. He scored four goals in his first 21 games and didn't score until January 17 against the New Jersey Devils – his 28th of the season.

However, due in part to injuries to core forwards like Alex Newhook and Joshua Roy, Army has seen increased ice time since mid-February. Playing a season-high 20:19 against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 28, he has played less than 13 minutes once since the All-Star break. After being pointless in the first two games after the break, the 2011 16th overall pick has nine goals and 15 points in 27 games, including six goals and eight points in his last eight — matching his AHL production.

Army is rising to new heights

Army is tied for fourth with 17 goals despite missing the team's 16 games. Thanks to his recent hot streak, he achieved a new career high of 16 in the 2019-20 season. While this season remains his best in terms of single-game production (30 points in 58 games), his resurgence has been surprising since he was cut from the team earlier in the season. Since breaking into the top six, he has found chemistry with Brendan Gallagher in the second row and the recently returned Alex Newhook.

All but two of his 17 goals this season have come on a layup (the other two have been shorthanded — a mark that puts the team ahead). By comparison, only Suzuki (21) and Caufield (16) have scored as many goals. Heading into the season, very few fans could have predicted that Army would have a more potent goal scorer than the young sharpshooter, who had a 46-goal pace last season.

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Army, eight goals shy of 100 in his career, has a legitimate shot at hitting 20 for the first time. With four games left on the schedule, it could be tough, but with his recent pace, it's not out of the question. His future with the Canadiens may seem uncertain due to the influx of young players, his contract expires at the end of next season, and this is the first season he's paid for his value, but the 6-foot-3 winger has provided the team with a quality and reliable secondary scorer who can play a big role if needed.