His play since arriving at the Kings, however, has merited a larger role than what he was targeted to fill.

As Hiller indicated, Armia played just shy of 19 minutes last night in Seattle, his highest total of the season. While several Kings forwards are producing at a lower rate than where you’d expect them to be offensively, Armia is currently tracking for 19 goals and 38 points, both of which would be NHL career highs, despite ranking ninth among Kings forwards at just shy of 12 minutes 5-on-5 per game. He’s got good size and sneaky skill, something that stands out to those who have played both with him and against him.

“I played against him a lot when he was in Montreal, he’s a big guy, makes good plays with the puck, good shot,” goaltender Anton Forsberg said of Armia. “He’s been a really good addition to this team.”

Where he has really exceeded expectations is in the offensive department.

What’s funny is, going back all the way to training camp, the guys who had played with him in the past knew it was in there.

Edmundson said that Armia has it in him to “take over games” at times offensively. Forward Phillip Danault said that “the puck always just seems to find him”, complimenting his skill, especially in front of the net. He said you’ll see some “really nasty moves, out of nowhere”.

Those interviews were on September 18 and 19. Now, with an extended body of work, we’re seeing what they were talking about.

The offensive side of Armia’s game has been impactful for a Kings team in search of plays and goals.

With his primary helper against the Kraken, Armia now ranks third on the Kings this season in primary assists per/60, trailing only Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield. He’s fifth on the team in goals per/60 in all situations. When Hiller says Armia has earned the minutes he’s gotten, I think the numbers more than back that up.

Of late, those minutes at even strength have been alongside Kevin Fiala and Quinton Byfield.

Fiala is arguably the team’s most dynamic offensive player, especially when he’s on his game, and Byfield is the fastest forward on the Kings. Both are capable of making plays and while their production hasn’t yet hit where it was second half of last season, it’s a line that requires a certain type of third player. Armia has proven to be a good fit there, with Fiala extremely complimentary of what he’s brought.

“He’s great, he’s a very skilled player,” Fiala said. “He wins a lot of puck battles, he holds onto pucks, he makes plays. He’s great on the penalty kill and he’s great all over the ice, especially now the last few weeks. It’s been showing and he’s got some goals here and there, it’s been very good. I’m very proud of him. He’s been fitting great with our team, very happy to have him on our team.”

I think, overall, Armia’s simple approach meshes well with Fiala specifically. As the Kings look to improve their overall offensive impact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the pieces continued to be shuffled at times, but right now, he’s in a good spot.

Last game, the shuffling included a place on the top power-play unit for the first time. While he didn’t factor in on the goal, which Fiala scored off the rush, he was impactful in the offensive zone when the Kings were able to get set up. Had several puck retrievals and got the puck to the crease from his goal-line position. I think we’d all like to see Andrei Kuzmenko get things going and take that spot back over. For a unit that has greatly struggled, though, I like Armia’s direct and hardworking approach, offering a different look. Worked pretty well on night one.

Where Armia slots into the lineup long-term remains to be seen.

Hiller has referred to him as a “Swiss-Army knife” in similar ways to how he’s talked about Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore. Guys who can play in different roles, with different players, and find ways to contribute. While he hasn’t been shuffled around as much as Laferriere in particular has, Armia has logged more than 50 minutes 5-on-5 with seven different forwards. So, when the pieces need to be moved around, Armia is one guy who can fit a few different places. Whether that’s Line 1 or Line 4, he’s a complementary player who can find a way to contribute.

And contribute he has. For a team that has yet to establish a ton of offensive consistency, Armia has proven to be an unexpected source of production. If he can keep that up, he’ll continue to be one of the summer’s best value signings around the NHL.