On the final day for NHL teams to place players on waivers prior to the deadline for final roster submissions, the Canadiens placed two players on waivers.
In less than 24 hours, the questions surrounding the makeup of Montreal's opening night roster will be answered. NHL teams have until 5:00 pm ET on Monday, October 9th to submit their final, cap-compliant 23-man rosters to open the 2023-24 season.
To prepare for the final cuts slated to come imminently, the Canadiens placed forward Joel Armia and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom on waivers Sunday afternoon.
Lindstrom, 24, was acquired this summer in a trade with the Red Wings which sent Jeff Petry to Detroit. With a backlog of young prospects on defense in the organization, there doesn't seem to be room for Lindstrom with the Canadiens.
The more surprising move of the two, however, is 30-year-old Joel Armia. The winger, who scored seven goals and registered seven assists in 43 games last season, is likely the victim of salary cap management. The Finnish forward is currently on the second-to-last year of a $3.4 million contract.
Also, what's notable about today's announcement is that neither waiver-eligible forward Jesse Ylonen or goaltender Cayden Primeau are on the list. That means Montreal will likely begin the season with three goaltenders on the roster, and Ylonen has a good chance of making the NHL team.
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