Can Archibald deliver like Dorsett did for Canucks?
Rugged winger has the feisty forechecker, agitator attributes Vancouver needs
Earlier this season, that light at the end of the career tunnel was looking like a train ready to derail Darren Archibald.
The rugged winger was the final cut at the Vancouver Canucks’ training camp and wasn’t on a National Hockey League contract for recall purposes.
And when his face took the brunt of a brutal blow into the rinkboards stanchion in November, the Utica Comets star was sidelined for seven weeks with a cheekbone fractured in three spots.
“It was definitely really frustrating for me being the last cut at camp,” recalled the 28-yearold Archibald. “I really wanted to come in and make some noise this year and cause a bit of a ruckus. Being on an AHL deal, it came down to being a numbers game at that point and I was the odd man out.
“It just makes it that much sweeter to be back. I’m confident. I want to make the most of this opportunity and be here next year, too.”
It’s not that far-fetched.
As the Canucks continue their crawl toward another early offseason Friday in Las Vegas against the league-leading, record-setting expansion Golden Knights — they have an eye-popping 40-16-4 record and also own the best home mark at 23-5-2 — it’s evaluation season for Travis Green in advance of what could be a significant roster reset beyond the Monday trade deadline.
As much as today ’s game is about speed and skill trumping girth and the grind, there’s still a place for players like Archibald.
You don’t need a slow-footed, drop-the-gloves nuclear deterrent on your bench. But you do need a guy who can keep pace, frustrate the opposition on the forecheck, throw big hits, be good in transition and stand up for teammates. The last thing you want is a leaguewide belief that you’re easy to play against — too soft, too passive. And the Canucks have been that.
Derek Dorsett’s calling card was a four-alarm warning bell. He hit, aggravated, checked, fought and scored. When his career was forced to end in late November after it was revealed the winger had sustained a cervical disc herniation adjacent and separate to his previous fusion, the Canucks started thinking about securing a Dorsett clone.
Do they have to trade for one or do they have it in Archibald?
Dorsett fought twice this season, accumulated two instigator penalties and was one shy of a two-game suspension. He had 39 hits to go with his surprising start that included seven goals in 20 games. He was also a mentor to younger players and a voice of reason in the room.
That’s hard to replace.
General manager Jim Benning is willing to part with skill in a player-for-player swap to add size, grit and playmaking ability. He passed on that in the 2016 draft by selecting defenceman Olli Juolevi fifth overall over winger Matthew Tkachuk, who is third in Calgary Flames scoring with 44 points (23-21). The Canucks believed at the time they had those evolving elements in Jake Virtanen, who remains a work in progress.
Archibald is on a pro-rated, twoway, US$650,000 contract for the remainder of this season. And in a rebuild that’s going to be about seeing if prime prospects Elias Pettersson, Adam Gaudette and Jonathan Dahlen can help prop up the league’s 24th-rated offence — and 27th-rated at even strength — there still has to be some physical, forechecking and intimidating element in the lineup for matchup purposes and to protect younger players.
Can that be the six-foot-three, 212-pound Archibald? Why not.
On a checking line with Brandon Sutter and Loui Eriksson, he hasn’t looked out of place. He skates well enough, hits with authority and gets pucks to his linemates. It’s a far cry from when former Canucks coach John Tortorella didn’t quite know what to make of the undrafted winger.
“I don’t know who he is and he has to decide if he can play in the NHL,” Tortorella said amid the winger’s three 2013-14 recalls. “That’s not a negative. He needs to take a guy ’s job and with his size and willingness, we need to see it more.”
Said Archibald: “I was kind of a tweener back then and hadn’t really figured out my game yet to stay at this level. I understand that part now.”
Last season, Archibald responded with 47 points (23-34) for the Comets. He led them in scoring and was the team’s most valuable player for coach Travis Green.
“I’m a lot more confident in my game than I was four years ago,” added Archibald. “I’ve matured as a player. I understand what it means to be a pro and how I have to play every game in this league. Over the years, some games I’d bring that big, physical game and other nights I wanted to score goals.
“The biggest thing for me is when I have my skating legs — that’s when I’m at my best. That allows me to be strong on pucks and be in on the forecheck. It’s a challenge. It’s not easy. When you play a lot of minutes and also get on the penalty kill, you’ve got to stay mentally focused.
“A lot of the skating has to do with strength. I just think over the years, my body is physically maturing each year and I’m getting stronger and I’ve also done a lot of power skating.”
I’ve matured as a player. I understand what it means to be a pro and how I have to play every game in this league. DARREN ARCHIBALD, Canucks winger