The Montreal Canadiens finally had their dearth of talent at the centre position addressed in the off-season after years of it being the weakest position for the organization. Despite the issues down the middle, the Canadiens had been running a full complement of strong wingers for a few seasons. The addition of Max Domi to slide Jonathan Drouin back over to the wing and bringing in Joel Armia in the off-season meant there was plenty of competition in training camp to earn a spot on the flanks.
Charles Hudon
September 24, 2019: [Highlight] Charles Hudon spins off his check and scores from close range
The talk of the pre-season largely centred on Charles Hudon and whether he would make the team or not. With Drouin at the top of the left-wing depth, the newly acquired Tomas Tatar in the top-six, and Artturi Lehkonen completing the top-nine alignment, there was only one place Hudon could grab. But quality performances like the one in the highlight above won him his spot on an offensively inclined fourth line.
January 9, 2019: What can the Canadiens do with Charles Hudon?
That plan never bore fruit in the regular season as the fourth line couldn’t stay afloat, and midway through the campaign Hudon was spending most of his nights in the press box. The question became what to do with a drafted player who showed some offensive promise, but who could no longer be assigned to the AHL without requiring waivers.
May 13, 2019: Charles Hudon and the sophomore season from Hell
The answer was mostly to keep him in the role of spectator down the stretch as the other players — and a few more acquired around the deadline — got into the lineup on a more regular basis. After a good first full season in the NHL in which he scored 10 goals, 2018-19 ended with just five more points on his career record.
Hudon’s contract is just about to expire, and the organization will have to decide if they will bring back the 2012 draft selection on a third NHL deal.
Grade Charles Hudon’s season with the Canadiens
| A+ | 2 |
| A | 4 |
| A- | 2 |
| B+ | 6 |
| B | 19 |
| B- | 17 |
| C+ | 48 |
| C | 105 |
| C- | 155 |
| D | 170 |
| F | 109 |
Joel Armia
June 30, 2018: Montreal Canadiens acquire goaltender Steve Mason and forward Joel Armia from Jets
The Winnipeg Jets were looking to clear some cap space. Since the Canadiens had plenty of that to work with, they got the rights to Joel Armia — a pending restricted free agent — and a few picks for a B-level prospect on the day before the free-agency period opened.
June 30, 2018: Montreal’s return for Simon Bourque is a bit of shrewd business by Marc Bergevin
A quick analysis pointed to a player who had a lot to offer Montreal in a bottom-six role, with strong defensive play and a bit of offensive skill to help the team get back on track after a woeful year.
July 4, 2018: Joel Armia’s playoff performance wasn’t just an outlier
Looking more specifically at the post-season run of the Jets in 2018, it was clear that Armia was one of their top playoff performers, contributing solid play as Winnipeg advanced to the Western Conference Final.
July 13, 2018: Joel Armia avoids arbitration, signs a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens
Marc Bergevin was able to avoid an arbitration hearing with his new winger, settling on a one-year deal to see what the Finn could offer to the team.
November 8, 2018: Joel Armia out six to eight weeks with a knee injury
That plan for an 82-game audition quickly went awry as Armia sustained a knee injury in a game versus the New York Rangers just a month into the season. He was forced to sit out for two months while he recovered.
January 9, 2019: Joel Armia’s return adds much needed stability to the Canadiens lineup
He got the doctor’s approval to return to the lineup in January, and that was good news for a Canadiens team that was feeling the effects of fatigue from a gruelling holiday schedule. Claude Julien took advantage of Armia’s freshness, deploying him the most of any of his forwards in his first game back, and the winger added a goal in a victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
January 24. 2019: Against the Coyotes, Joel Armia again proved how effective he can be
The offensive contributions were appreciated, but Armia’s value lies in his defensive contributions at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. In the final game before All-Star Weekend, he showed off some of his best attributes.
March 1, 2019: [Highlight] Joel Armia hits the empty net to finish his hat trick
Armia’s best offensive performance came on March 1, when he got retribution against the team that knocked him out of action for a third of the year by recording his first NHL hat trick to run his season tally to 10.
May 15, 2019: Joel Armia performed well as Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s right-hand man
The majority of Armia’s work was done alongside the Canadiens’ prized addition from the 2018 Draft, Jesperi Kotkaniemi. Armia’s defensive game helped the rookie out in his own end and let him get more time in the offensive zone. While there, Armia wasn’t doing much to help his compatriot thrive on offence, but the duo worked well together to have an overall positive impact on the team.
May 17, 2019: What is Joel Armia worth to the Montreal Canadiens?
The one year Marc Bergevin earned to evaluate Armia before committing to a more significant deal is just about up, and now it’s time for Armia to collect on the gamble. He was a solid player for Montreal, and the team will have use of his defensive talents going forward. But first they need to sign him to a new deal.
Grade Joel Armia’s season with the Canadiens
| A+ | 9 |
| A | 41 |
| A- | 58 |
| B+ | 229 |
| B | 173 |
| B- | 89 |
| C+ | 26 |
| C | 8 |
| C- | 3 |
| D | 1 |
| F | 0 |
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