The Edmonton Oilers have been relatively quiet during free agency, mainly adding depth to their bottom-6. They continued the pattern Tuesday, signing unrestricted free agent Josh Archibald to a one-year deal.
Most recently a member of the Coyotes, the 26-year-old had a solid year with Arizona, registering a career-high 12 goals and 22 points in 68 games — doubling his point total from 2017-18, where he had 11 points in 39 appearances.
For the Oilers, they get another right wing to add to their depth chart, and a decent one at that; he's still in the early stages of his career and has shown that he's capable of producing at the NHL level. While he doesn't put up the biggest numbers, he does bring a lot more to the lineup than what meets the eye.
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The 5-10, 176 pound winger isn't the biggest player, but he doesn't shy away from puck battles. With 161 hits last season with Arizona, Archibald incorporated more aggressiveness and grit into his game. He's still developing into a physical forward, which has helped his overall two-way game.
Additionally, the Oilers need more speed in their lineup beyond their top line forwards and Archibald can provide that. The Saskatchewan native is able to not only beat out his opponents to the puck along the boards and into the corners, but can also get down the ice quickly and backcheck with ease. He's the type of forward that can keep up with the game around him and hustle if necessary.
Not only does Archibald provide solid bottom-6 scoring, but he can also serve on the penalty kill — something the Oilers definitley need as they finished with the second-worst penalty kill in the league (74.8%). A hard-working, dedicated and very coachable player, he's an asset that can lead by example and help to build a postiive culture in the dressing room.
Ultimately, he gives Edmonton more insurance on a weak right side; however, there is still work to be done. The Oilers lacks top-6 scoring beyond Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — especially on the wing — and have forwards who can score 20 goals consistently. This signing shows a step toward fixing a broken lineup but Ken Holland needs to keep chipping away in rebuilding the lineup.