His four goals and one assist in four games, combined with an excellent attitude and overall play, earned him a recall by the main team to compensate for the loss of Kirby Dach.
Some believe that this recall was meant, in addition to adding a member to the team, to showcase the veteran. As David Pagnotta points out, Kent Hughes has been working for a long time to trade him, and discussions on this subject have recently picked up again.
If trading Armia seems like a complex task for Kent Hughes, time has proven that the GM knows how to maneuver in such situations. He has often succeeded, since his arrival at the helm of the club, in surprising everyone and shedding heavy contracts. There are solutions to trade Armia, and he will find one.
Speaking of solutions, here's one that Hughes should consider. As the excellent Marco D'Amico points out, he will need to find a team that wants to free up cap space this season by giving up a big contract to take on Armia's (two more years).
This type of player was actually in town recently during the Capitals' visit, and his name is Anthony Mantha. The contract of the Quebecer, with a cap hit of $5.7M, will end at the conclusion of the current season. An Armia/Mantha trade could give nearly $2.3M more in cap space for the Caps. However, they would have to keep their new acquisition for two more years, not just one.
