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Josh Archibald

Josh Archibald Clears Unconditional Waivers; Contract Terminated

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09/10/23: According to TSN’s Chris Johnston, Archibald has cleared unconditional waivers and has had his contract terminated.

09/09/23: After signing Josh Archibald back in July, his time with the Lightning has come to an end.  The team announced today that they have placed the winger on waivers today for the purpose of terminating his contract.  GM Julien BriseBois released the following statement:

Yesterday, I was informed by Josh’s agent, and by Josh himself in a subsequent conversation, that he was not planning on playing hockey for the time being and that he would not be reporting to training camp. Consequently, Josh was placed on unconditional waivers earlier today for the purpose of terminating his contract.

The 30-year-old spent last season with Pittsburgh, primarily playing on their fourth line.  Archibald got into 62 games with the Penguins, picking up six goals and six assists while averaging just shy of ten minutes per night.  Looking to add to their toughness, Tampa Bay signed Archibald to a two-year deal that carried a cap hit of $800K along with a 16-team no-trade clause.  To create the cap room to fit him in, they flipped Pat Maroon with partial retention to Minnesota, a move that freed up precisely $800K.

However, it appears that Archibald had a change of heart and has now decided against playing this season altogether according to Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link).  Tampa Bay could have elected to suspend Archibald without pay which would have kept him on their reserve list if he had a change of heart but instead, they’re parting ways altogether, a move that opens up a contract slot, one they quickly utilized to sign Tyler Motte to a one-year, $800K deal.

Archibald’s NHL career stands at 305 games played over eight seasons with Pittsburgh (two separate stints), Arizona, and Edmonton.  He has 83 points and 855 hits in those appearances but for now, at least, those totals won’t be going any higher.

Penguins Injury Notes: Petry, Bonino, Poehling

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For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost the services of defenseman Jeff Petry. The 35-year-old played just three shifts in the first period before he exited the game after taking an elbow from Tyler Motte. Petry also exited Tuesday nights 6-4 loss to the Montreal Canadiens with an apparent injury. Petry’s injury luck in the last two games has forced the Penguins defense to play shorthanded in back-to-back games, leaning heavily on Kris Letang who himself has dealt with a series of health issues this season.

If Petry is out for any length of time it would be likely that recent healthy scratch Chad Ruhwedel would draw back into the Penguins lineup. The Penguins do have Mark Friedman and Ty Smith stashed in the minors but would need to move Nick Bonino onto LTIR to call up either player. Ty Smith was quite good in limited NHL action earlier this season, however the young defenseman is still week-to-week with a facial fracture.

In other Penguins injury news:

  • Seth Rorabaugh is reporting that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told tonight’s MSG broadcast that Pittsburgh expects center Nick Bonino to be back by the playoffs. Bonino was re-acquired on trade deadline day by the Penguins to center their fourth line but was only able to dress in a handful of games after spending most of the season with the San Jose Sharks. Jeff Carter has taken Bonino’s spot on the fourth line in recent games but has struggled mightily going -4 in just 8:28 of ice time on Tuesday against Montreal.
  • Ryan Poehling did return to action tonight after missing over a month with a lingering upper body injury. The young forward saw duty on the fourth line next to Jeff Carter and Josh Archibald. Poehling’s return could create an interesting situation on the Penguins fourth line should Jeff Carter continue to struggle. Poehling was centering the unit earlier in the season prior to the injury and showed good chemistry with Drew O’Connor and Danton Heinen.

Pittsburgh Penguins Make Three Roster Moves

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Official now, Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Archibald have been activated from injured reserve. To make room on the roster, Tristan Jarry has been moved to IR – though that doesn’t necessarily mean his status has changed. Jarry was on the ice this morning, and his placement was retroactive to January 22, so he will be eligible to return as soon as he is healthy.

It’s been a forgettable season for Kapanen, with just six goals through 35 appearances. He’s been scratched, demoted, and overlooked for much of the year, thanks to an inconsistent game that just won’t go away.

A brilliant skater with the size, strength, and puck skills to be an effective top-six winger in the NHL, Kapanen has never been able to match the 20-goal, 44-point campaign he had in 2018-19 with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His production has gone up and down like a see-saw, along with his minutes and opportunity.

Many were surprised when the Penguins decided to sign him to a two-year contract last summer that carries a $3.2MM cap hit, knowing how unreliable he had been to this point. Well, now that he’s healthy, Kapanen will have another chance to prove he’s not just a guy but can be an impact player on a playoff roster.

Archibald, meanwhile, has never had the same kind of expectations. The sixth-round pick scored 12 goals in back-to-back seasons a few years ago but is not considered an offensive threat and is only relied on for energy and penalty killing. He hasn’t been able to provide either since going out of the lineup in December, meaning the Penguins will get a little jolt to the bottom six when he suits up.

With Jarry still not ready to return, Casey DeSmith is expected to start tonight.

Morning Notes: Walsh, Penguins, Pegula

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According to Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, the NHLPA is expected to name Marty Walsh as its next executive director. The sitting U.S. Secretary of Labor will be installed after Tuesday’s presidential address, though a formal executive board vote is still required. Seravalli reports it is expected to be a unanimous approval for Walsh, a former Boston mayor who was only included in the search a few weeks ago.

Here are some more notes from around the league:

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins will have Kasperi Kapanen and Josh Archibald available this evening, but Tristan Jarry isn’t quite ready to return. Casey DeSmith will get the start, his 23rd appearance of the season. The 31-year-old netminder has a .901 save percentage on the year and is 7-10-4, proving exactly why the Penguins need Jarry back as soon as possible (and why goaltending is an area of concern as they head toward the trade deadline). Getting Kapanen, who hasn’t played since January 18, back to playing at a high level would also be huge for Pittsburgh; the 26-year-old has just six goals and 17 points through 35 games this season.
  • Regardless of what you think of the Buffalo Sabres ownership, it is hard to read professional tennis player Jessica Pegula’s heartfelt piece in the Players’ Tribune this morning, which revealed that her mother has been battling serious health issues since last summer. Kim Pegula, president and co-owner of the Sabres (and Jessica’s mother), suffered cardiac arrest in June 2022, leading to a long stay in the hospital. She is now on the road to recovery.

Pittsburgh Penguins Recall Ty Smith, Drake Caggiula

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have moved Josh Archibald and Ryan Poehling to injured reserve, recalling Ty Smith and Drake Caggiula to fill the roster spots. Both IR stints are retroactive, meaning Archibald and Poehling can be activated whenever healthy enough to return.

Smith’s recall will excite some fans though, given the upside that he still represents. The 22-year-old defenseman was part of the return in an offseason trade of John Marino and looked like he would be a regular piece of the Pittsburgh blue line during the preseason. Instead, he was sent down to start the year and has racked up 14 points in 26 games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins instead.

That was Smith’s first experience in the minor leagues, as he jumped right from the WHL to the NHL in 2020 with the New Jersey Devils. He played 114 NHL games during his first two seasons, scoring seven goals and 43 points in the process. The 2018 first-round pick has plenty of offensive potential but can still be inconsistent on the defensive side of the puck.

He will likely get a chance to show off any improvement in that area, given the injury that Chad Ruhwedel suffered last night. The veteran defenseman played just 5:28 before leaving.

Canadian Notes: Price, Dermott, Wideman

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Rumors have swirled over the future of Carey Price’s career ever since the severity of his knee injury became apparent. Those rumors intensified today when Sportnet’s Eric Engels said Price was scheduled to speak with the media on October 24. However, Engels notes that this is not a retirement announcement as many people first thought when his media availability was reported.

Price and his $10.5MM cap hit remain on long-term injured reserve, and he’s not expected to play at all this season as he continues his recovery from his knee injury. Price played just five games last season after missing nearly the entire year, and he certainly won’t top that number in 2022-23. The future Hall of Fame goaltender still wants to resume his playing career if he can, and he does have four years remaining on his deal to make an improbable recovery.

Pittsburgh Penguins To Sign Josh Archibald

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In the middle of a press conference, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Ron Hextall announced that Josh Archibald will be returning to the team. The one-year deal will carry a salary of $900K.

Archibald, 29, started his career with Pittsburgh after being selected 174th overall in the 2011 draft. He played just 14 NHL games for the Penguins before a trade took him to the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, where he then established himself as a valuable bottom-six option.

The last three seasons have been spent in Edmonton, though this season saw Archibald play sparingly because of his vaccination status and health concerns. The energy winger has some scoring upside, though it’s now been a while since he provided it.

In both 2018-19 and 2019-20, Archibald scored 12 goals and more than 20 points. In the 60 regular season games he has played since he has just seven goals and 14 points.

For $900K he won’t be expected to score much but it does suggest that he’ll have a regular (or at least semi-regular) role in the NHL. Archibald will get a chance to show Penguins fans what they missed out on years ago.

Injury Notes: Penguins, Archibald, Bunting

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have listed both Casey DeSmith and Rickard Rakell as day-to-day following their exits from last night’s marathon game one, according to Josh Yohe of The Athletic. The team has recalled Alex D’Orio from the minor leagues, giving them another healthy goaltender while Tristan Jarry continues to rehab his own injury.

Notably, D’Orio is the only other healthy goaltender the organization has signed to an NHL contract. Filip Lindberg hasn’t played since sustaining an ankle injury in November (and has just seven games of professional experience) and Tommy Nappier, the other AHL netminder, is on a minor league deal. The team is certainly walking a tightrope at the moment, especially given the 23-year-old D’Orio has never appeared in the NHL and split the year between the AHL and ECHL.

  • While not exactly an injury, there’s been a change in status for Josh Archibald according to Edmonton Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft. One of the few unvaccinated players in the league, Archibald would have been unable to travel with the Oilers for games three and four of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. Now he can, as Archibald now has a medical exemption due to his myocarditis diagnosis according to Woodcroft, who spoke with reporters including Daniel Nugent-Bowman. The bottom-six forward is expected to enter the lineup tonight as the Oilers go back to a more traditional 12 forwards and six defensemen.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will get some reinforcements of their own, as Michael Bunting will make his playoff debut this evening. The 26-year-old rookie found instant chemistry on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner this season, resulting in an impressive 23-goal, 63-point campaign. He’ll essentially take the spot of Kyle Clifford–who earned a one-game suspension on Monday–but slot in quite a bit higher in the lineup.

Josh Archibald To Be Activated Off LTIR

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After what’s been a season-long doubt with myocarditis, Edmonton Oilers winger is expected to come off long-term injured reserve, per The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman. He could be an option to play for the team in the coming days.

In order to make room on the active roster, forward Colton Sceviour and goalie Stuart Skinner were assigned to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors today, according to Nugent-Bowman.

However, the games he’s legally able to play in after his return could be limited. Archibald is still unvaccinated against COVID-19, and due to border complications and local restrictions, it’s unclear how available Archibald could actually be for the team.

Over the past two seasons, Archibald had played 114 games for the Oilers, tallying 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points. Now 29, Archibald will have to compete in what’s become a crowded Oilers bottom-six group.

Snapshots: Archibald, Reimer, Mantha

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Josh Archibald has not played a single game at any level this season but is in Edmonton skating after dealing with myocarditis. Mark Spector of Sportsnet sent out a string of tweets today updating the depth forward’s status, including confirming that Archibald is still unvaccinated.

Because of how difficult that makes it for him to play with the Oilers or go on a conditioning loan to the Bakersfield Condors due to cross-border travel, Spector expects Archibald to be traded to a U.S.-based team at some point and suggests his time as an Oiler is effectively over. The 29-year-old forward is a pending unrestricted free agent in the second season of a two-year contract that carries a $1.5MM cap hit. He scored seven goals and 13 points in 52 games last season.

  • James Reimer is considered out week-to-week according to head coach Bob Boughner, who spoke with Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. Reimer’s injury further explains why the San Jose Sharks traded for–and subsequently recalled from the AHL–Alex Stalock. Adin Hill is still out with an injury, though Boughner explained that the goaltender “felt good” this morning. Losing Reimer is a pretty hefty blow to the Sharks’ fortunes, as the veteran netminder was having a nice bounce-back season and has a .916 save percentage in 34 appearances.
  • Peter Laviolette wouldn’t confirm whether the Washington Capitals would have Anthony Mantha back in the lineup tonight, but he has been activated from injured reserve. Should he play, it would be his first game since leaving a match against the Florida Panthers on November 4 and just his 11th of the season. The 6’5″ forward had six points in his first ten games before going down and could be a trade deadline-like addition for the scuffling Capitals.

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