Joel Armia speechless when faced with a really important question
With their 7-24-5 record, it's clear that many Montreal Canadiens players need to give more. There are the Nick Suzuki, Jake Allen and Artturi Lehkonen who have provided good flashes and there are the others.
Among those who are disappointing after 36 games, we find at the top of the list forward Joel Armia. In 31 games, the Finn has only one goal and four assists.
During an interview after a practice, Armia was obviously asked about his low offensive production and he lost his words.
"Um, I don't know, I have no idea. If I did know, I would fix things right away. I don't know. I have no idea."
Since arriving in Montreal in 2018, Armia has already seen more success on offense. In particular, he amassed 16 goals during the 2019-2020 season, where he had reached the 30-point plateau.
The former Jet is adamant, however, that this is the worst season of his career.
"This is probably the most mentally and physically challenging season of my career. It's not easy. I hope I can turn it around by the end of the year," he admitted.
An important factor in a hockey player's performance is certainly confidence. By scoring and creating plays, confidence comes back and that's how the points are accumulated.
Armia's confidence level is currently low as his playing time has dropped considerably since the beginning of the season.
"There's also confidence. When you score goals, get points and win, it's easier. When you don't win, it's not as easy."
Armia will have to go back to the basics to find his level of play, according to coach Dominique Ducharme who mentions that there is a process before anything else.
With his $3.4 million contract, it will be interesting to see if he stays with the Habs by the end of the campaign.
