2023-09-02 13:50:08
The 2023-2024 season of the Montreal Canadiens is fortunately fast approaching.
There will be hockey this month now that it’s September!
Even though the majority of Habs fans are mentally ready to see the CH once again have a rather difficult season and miss the playoffs, there is excitement surrounding the return of hockey.
For what?
Because everyone is eager to see the different players in the organization develop and progress.
Indeed, the performances of all the players in the line-up will be very interesting to follow in view of the future of the team.
The reconstruction is over, and so we want to see the young players in the team develop and show what they are capable of doing.
Almost any player on the roster will be exciting to follow and see in action.
The only small problem is that the CH is not likely to have recruits in its alignment to start the season.
The internal fight is strong →
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) August 28, 2023
The internal competition is very strong, and this risks pushing the most “NHL ready” young people to settle for the American League for the moment.
It’s a shame, because it would be really interesting and exciting to see Emil Heineman, Joshua Roy, Sean Farrell and/or Logan Mailloux in the NHL.
There is too much competition, and unfortunately some of this competition is present only as a financial burden.
I’m obviously talking about Joel Armia here.
The 30-year-old Finn has been quite a disturbing enigma since arriving in Montreal.
It is by no means constant.
He can be invisible for 20 matches and then have a match worthy of the greatest.
The talent is there, but not the work ethic.
This therefore makes Armia a real drag in the line-up, due to his contract for two more seasons worth an annual value of $3.4 million.
He earned this contract after having had a good series in 2020-2021.
Since signing the contract, however, Armia has been really mediocre.
That’s 28 points in 103 games.
The Finn is therefore not exchangeable, and his contract somehow obliges the CH to keep him in Montreal.
A contract buyout could be a possibility (next summer) if Armia ever performs poorly for this season.
With the Canadian increasingly thinking short-term, Joel Armia must keep it all in mind
— DansLesCoulisses (@DLCoulisses) August 28, 2023
Brief, Armia is a ball that pretty much everyone wants to see outside, including Tony Marinaro.
He brings nothing to the club when he does not play to the maximum of his abilities, which is the case for 3/4 of the matches.
The 20 games per year that Armia decides to play at the height of his talent are not worth $3.4 million and are certainly not worth a place in the lineup which blocks the possibility of seeing a young player in Montreal.
Currently, everything indicates that the CH will start the season with 14 attackers at the top, unless the CH keeps three goalkeepers in its workforce.
Armia will likely (and unfortunately) be one of those attackers, unless he is miraculously traded.
But that doesn’t mean he’ll be in uniform.
If Armia has an ordinary camp (which is likely to happen) and the other forwards demonstrate more, nothing prevents Martin St-Louis from leaving Armia aside to start the season.
And with a Christian Dvorak potentially missing the start of the season, a door is opening for a youngster.
Armia would remain an extra striker, and the CH would keep a youngster such as Emil Heineman at the top to fill the absence of Dvorak.
The CH would be much more profitable to insert a young person in place of Dvorak rather than Armia.
And so, if this scenario occurs, and the youngster in question performs during his audition, it could put even more pressure and heat on Armia.
Management would be all the more tempted to kick him out and get rid of him.
In short, it is a situation that will have to be closely monitored at the start of the season.
A lot of
– To listen.
“Montreal is the Real Madrid of the United States and Canada” -Wilfried Nancy
Hear from the former coach of the @cfmontreal at the microphone of @ybouchardRDS live at 98.5 FM and at pic.twitter.com/QYTTjKhYf0
— 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) September 2, 2023
– Not to be missed today from 7:30 p.m.
MATCH day
Mtl vs Columbus
A good Columbus challenge.#CFMTL has 9 wins in 12 PJs in Mtl. Columbus travels badly. 2 road wins only
Good challenge awaits @cfmontreal. The #Crew96 is the attack that creates the
More in the league.Return of Nancy, Camacho and Bush.
— Patrice Bernier (@pbernier10) September 2, 2023
– To be consulted.
Elias Lindholm is open to staying with the #Flamesthe latest on Evgeny Kuznetsov and Anthony Mantha, and updates on Max Comtois and Tyler Ennis in today’s #NHL Rumor Mill.
— Spector’s Hockey (@SpectorsHockey) September 2, 2023
– That would be a solid pair.
Nova Scotia’s Ryan Graves ponders possible pairing with superstar Erik Karlsson in Pittsburgh | SaltWire
— Willy Palov (@WillyPalov) September 2, 2023
– Nice victory for the Blue Jays.
With this win, John Schneider’s men remain at the height of the race for the best second.
— Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) September 2, 2023
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#heavy #ball