



Image Credit: Lindsay A. Mogle/Utica Comets





After clearing waivers at noon, forward Tom Pyatt was dealt west to the Vancouver Canucks along with veteran goalie Mike McKenna and a sixth-round pick in 2019. In return, Ottawa would acquire goaltender Anders Nilsson and forward Darren Archibald, Wednesday.





Nilsson will join the big club while Archibald has been assigned to the American Hockey League.





Help is on its way for Belleville in the form of Darren Archibald as Pierre Dorion continues to strengthen his farm team and give himself recall options at the NHL level.





AHL-level offensive production has not been a problem for Archibald, a 6-foot-3, 212-pound, right-shot winger who added 16 points (11 goals) in 23 games this season with Vancouver’s AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.





Signed as an undrafted free agent by Vancouver, the rangy winger has spent his entire career with the Canucks organization, following a major junior career in the Ontario Hockey League that saw him suit up for the Barrie Colts and Niagara Ice Dogs.





Archibald finds 52 career NHL games on his resume, tallying 14 points (eight goals), and averaging 11:26 of playing time over his career.





"He certainly provided Utica with some offence, if you look at his roughly last three years," said Belleville Senators' bench boss Troy Mann. " I think in our case as well, it gives us a little more presence in the lineup, specifically on the road, where if we're going to make the playoffs here in the second half, our road record is going to have to get better than it is . "





The 28-year-old is Utica's franchise leader in games played (305), goals (75) and is second in points scored (144).





"We'll talk to him Friday morning and see where he's played whether it's been power play or PK. His goal numbers kind of tell me that he's played some power play, probably in that net-front area. We'll definitely get him on one of the two special teams units," said Mann of Archibald's deployment. "Adding an Archibald type will help going into Binghamton, Syracuse and those types of buildings in our division."





The Newmarket native is expected to join his new squad for the morning skate Friday and is scheduled to make his Belleville Senators' debut later that night against Charlotte.





Leadership personified, wearing an ''A'' in Utica the past three seasons, it shouldn't take long before hockey fans in the Friendly City see the heart-and-soul winger as a fan favourite in the club's push for the postseason.





No question, Ottawa Senators' general manager Pierre Dorion's continued plan is to add the necessary depth in place in order to get Belleville into the playoff. With 33 games remaining on the schedule, Belleville is in the thick of the playoff race, finding themselves just three points back of the fourth and final North Division playoff spot.





"My message to the team after the Stefan Elliott, Tobias Lindberg trade was that Ottawa is trying to put us in position to compete for a playoff spot," said Mann. " I think Lindberg added some depth scoring where his numbers were pretty much even with Sexton and plus, we added a right-shot veteran D. I think the Sens have to be very happy with Elliott ,the fact that he has been called up and played games for them so that's a positive for both teams. I think a guy like Archibald reinforces some of our needs."





It's a new chapter in the power forwards' career. A sight for sore eyes, the 28-year-old will now report to a new organization for the first time in his pro career, joining a Belleville Senators squad short five forwards, due to injuries (Logan Brown, Filip Chlapik, Aaron Luchuk, Jim O'Brien) and one to recall (Jack Rodewald).





Something had to give for the Senators, who are currently without Craig Anderson (concussion) and Mike Condon (hip), due to injuries.





Nilsson, 28, an NHL veteran will be looked at to fill the void.





The 6-foot-6 native of Lulea, Sweden has recorded a 3-8-1 record, posting a 3.08 goals-against-average and .895 save percentage in 12 games with the Canucks this year.





"I haven't heard anything on Mike Condon (hip) in weeks," said Troy Mann, who has been in limbo for the past seven weeks, due to organizational goaltending injuries. "I still know he's in Ottawa rehabbing but how far he's come along, that has not been discussed with me. I'm under the assumption we're going to run with Gustavsson and Paterson for now and once Anderson returns from his injury, we'll get Hogberg back and from my standpoint, I hope it's sooner rather than later."





Belleville (17-17-2), winners of three straight are back at it tonight in Laval (13-16-3-2), looking to continue their winning ways.







