Jordan Harris went out of last night’s game with what the team announced was an upper-body injury, though not a serious one as the defenceman is a game-time decision for Sunday’s match versus the Vancouver Canucks. However, in the event that Harris is unable to play, the Montreal Canadiens have placed Gustav Lindström on the active roster, assigning Joel Armia, who had already cleared waivers earlier in the season, to the AHL.
Like Lindström before him, it isn’t expected that Armia will actually join the Laval Rocket, especially considering that the AHL team is currently in Winnipeg for a two-game series with the Manitoba Moose. This is just a paper transaction to replace a forward with a defenceman on the active roster so Lindström could play this evening if needed.
Montreal’s three-goalie rotation is using one spot that the club would normally have for an extra skater, leading to situations such as this. It is important to note that waivers exemption only lasts for 30 days or 10 NHL games after a players clears, so Kent Hughes won’t be able to make this type of move all season long without having to expose one of these players to waivers again.
