Canucks deal Nilsson, Archibald to Sens for McKenna, Pyatt, pick
Canucks GM says young goaltender put in work in Utica and it’s ‘time for him to move up’
The Vancouver Canucks are prepping for the beginning of Thatcher Demko’s NHL career, making a trade Wednesday to begin clearing a path for the highly touted netminder.
The Canucks sent Anders Nilsson and journeyman forward Darren Archibald to Ottawa in exchange for goalie Mike McKenna, winger Tom Pyatt and a 2019 sixth-round draft pick.
Demko, 23, has been playing for the past two-and-a-half seasons with the Canucks’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning said he felt Demko was ready to move up to prime time, so it was time to find a new home for Nilsson, the team’s backup goalie for the past season and a half.
“One of the things that we wanted to do was make room for Thatcher and get him going,” Benning said on a conference call.
“We’ve been patient with him, with his development. He’s playing really well down there (in Utica) ... we just felt that the foundation for his game is set, now is time for him to move up.”
For now, McKenna will serve as backup to Canucks’ No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom, Benning said.
“I think it gives us flexibility,” he said of adding McKenna. “For the next couple days, Mike will backup (Markstrom).”
Benning also indicated this was a trade they’d been looking at for a while.
McKenna, 35, is 1-4-1 with a 3.96 goals-against average for the Ottawa Senators this season.
He was called up from the Senators’ American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, Ont., after Mike Condon was sent down following a disastrous start against the Arizona Coyotes on Oct. 31. McKenna, a native of St. Louis, has played 34 NHL games over six seasons with the Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Jersey Devils, Columbus Blue Jackets, Arizona Coyotes and Dallas Stars, posting a record of 7-16-3.
The Canucks played the Senators in Ottawa last night, and are in Montreal today. Their six-game road trip, which had stops in Calgary, Edmonton and New Jersey, wraps up Saturday in Toronto.
To make room for Demko, the Canucks will have to waive McKenna, though given his long career, it seems doubtful another team would claim him.
The Comets are a bit thin in goal now, as Demko’s backup, veteran Richard Bachman, injured his Achilles last month.
His season is over, Benning confirmed.
The 28-year-old Nilsson, who backed Sweden to gold at the World Hockey Championship last spring, had a 3-8-1 record, 3.09 GAA and .895 save percentage in 12 games with the Canucks this season.
Pyatt, 31, has tallied two assists and two penalty minutes in 37 games this season for the Senators. The winger is mired in a 50-game goalless streak.
He was waived by the Senators on Tuesday and will be assigned to Utica.
Archibald, 28, has split the past two years between the Canucks and the AHL’s Utica Comets. The rugged forward had a goal and an assist in nine NHL games this season.
He’ll join the Belleville Senators.
One of the things that we wanted to do was make room for Thatcher and get him going.”
Jim Benning, Canucks GM