The Montreal Canadiens have placed forward Joel Armia and defenseman Gustav Lindström on waivers.
Armia, 30, is a ten-year NHL veteran. Last year in 43 games, he had seven goals and seven assists.
He is in the third season of a four-year, $13.6 million contract with an average annual value of $3.4 million.
If Armia and Lindstrom are not claimed by another NHL team, they could join the Laval Rocket.
If this scenario materializes, head coach Jean-François Houle will proceed as he always does with players transferred to a lower level.
“If we are in favor of having a player of the caliber of the National League, it’s just good for Laval. It depends if they are mentally ready to come down. When they are not claimed on waivers, I don’t talk to them for two days. We’re going to let them calm down a little bit and after that, we’re going to have a good conversation with the person, if they’re not claimed on waivers,” Houle said after the Rocket’s preseason game on Sunday.
Houle said he had experienced similar situations in the past.
“With Bakersfield, we had several players who came from Edmonton who made big salaries and had been playing in the National League for several years. Usually, deep down, players want to play hockey. So sometimes, they come back down and establish themselves well in the team,” he mentioned.
In his career, he played a total of 439 games, amassing 75 goals and 78 assists with the Habs, the Buffalo Sabers and the Winnipeg Jets.
Lindström, a 24-year-old defenseman, played 128 career games with the Detroit Red Wings. He was traded to the Canadiens in August in the deal involving Jeff Petry.
He took part in CH’s third and sixth preparatory matches, obtaining 15:06 and 16:42 of ice time.
In the third game, he assisted on Josh Anderson’s net.
He scored two goals and amassed 23 assists in his career.
The Canadiens begin their regular season on Wednesday with a trip to Toronto to face the Maple Leafs.
