In this past regular season, new Los Angeles Kings forward Joel Armia vastly exceeded expectations after he was signed to a two-year, $5 million contract in unrestricted free agency which quickly proved to be a strong value to the team.
There is a valid case to be made that Armia and goalie Anton Forsberg were the two most underrated and valuable signings for the Kings and general manager Ken Holland in unrestricted free agency this past summer.
Armia got off to a great start for the Kings this past season, ranking among the top five forwards for LA in goals per 60 minutes and total points per 60 going into the Olympic break last February. He accomplished that while playing mostly on the fourth line for former head coach Jim Hiller and the Kings in the season's first few months.
Joel Armia 2025-26 player season recap
2025-26 season stats: 67 games played, 13 goals, 12 assists, 25 points, +1
2025-26 advanced stats: 14.1 shooting %, 10.1 5-on-5 shooting %, 1.6 points/60, 2.0 point shares, 0.3 WAR
2025-26 possession metrics: 49.2 CF%, 47.0 SCF%, 99.3 PDO, 45.2 HDCF%
Even though injuries had a negative impact on his overall production and effectiveness down the stretch last spring, Armia still had a pretty productive and efficient season with the Kings all things considered. He finished up this past regular season with 13 goals, 12 assists, 25 total points, and a career and team-high four shorthanded goals in 67 games played.
Considering that Armia averaged just over 14 minutes in time on the ice per game, double-digit goals and 25 points is a pretty productive regular season. He was just one goal short of leading the NHL in shorthanded goals this past regular season.
Joel Armia was one of only two players in the NHL this past regular season with at least 4 shorthanded goals and 30 takeaways. pic.twitter.com/iUyD2Ya6wh
— Rink Royalty (@RinkRoyalty) May 18, 2026
The main role that Armia played for the Kings was on special teams as one of the team's top penalty-killing forwards. He ranked in the top three among Kings' forwards in time on the ice on special teams on the penalty kill this past regular season.
We already mentioned the way that Armia was able to make an impact on both ends of the ice on special teams on the penalty kill. He not only led the team in shorthanded goals this past season, but he also was just one shorthanded goal away from leading the NHL.
Early in the 2025-26 regular season, Armia was a very pleasant surprise for Hiller and the Kings. He scored multiple goals and at least five total points in each of the season's first three months. Armia earned increased minutes in the season's first few months after only averaging around a dozen minutes on the ice per game last fall.
But an upper-body injury that he suffered in the Winter Olympics caused Armia's impact on the team to diminish over the regular season's final couple of months. He missed some time due to the back injury, and even when he returned to the lineup, he wasn't as effective as he was earlier in the season.
Armia registered just five total points in the season's final 16 games last spring. He was also a healthy scratch in Game 4 of the first-round postseason matchup vs. the Colorado Avalanche for the Kings due to possession issues and inconsistent play on the ice.
Joel Armia 2026-27 Los Angeles Kings season preview
Armia is going into the final year of his current contract with the Kings that he signed in the 2025 offseason. He is paid $2.5 million in base value for the upcoming 2026-27 season.
We have Armia projected to play with the fourth-line forwards along with center Alex Turcotte and veteran winger Corey Perry this upcoming season. But Armia's versatility as a kind of Swiss Army knife for new head coach Peter Laviolette and the Kings should give him the ability to move around the lineup when needed.
He is expected to continue to play a key depth role in the bottom-six forward group for the Kings this upcoming season and continue to be a fixture on special teams on the penalty kill.
His contract situation adds another important element for this upcoming season. Armia is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, meaning his performance in the 2026-27 season could determine whether he has a future in Los Angeles beyond this season. Another productive year as a versatile bottom-six forward and penalty killer could make a short-term contract extension worth some consideration for the Kings.
Kings fans shouldn't be expecting Armia to score 20 goals and have a major offensive breakout at 33 years old. If he can stay healthy and play at least 70 games this upcoming regular season, Armia should realistically be able to score double-digit goals and 25-30 total points for the Kings.
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