Happy returns for Penguins forward Josh Archibald
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Forward Teddy Blueger has yet to play this season for the Pittsburgh Penguins because of a lingering undisclosed injury that has hobbled him since Sept. 28.
But he might have the most service time of anyone on the roster with offseason acquisition Josh Archibald.
That’s because the pair were teammates for parts of three seasons at the American Hockey League level with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the mid-2010s.
“It seems like it’s so long ago now, so it’s hard to remember precisely,” Blueger said earlier this month. “But I definitely played with him a little bit. He’s hard, he’s physical, very tenacious. He’s got a good shot. So he kind of brings that element of physicality even though he’s not the biggest guy, but he’s good on the wall, protecting pucks, things like that. Brings a lot of energy. He’s a good player for us to have.”
That much was certain during the Penguins’ 6-2 comeback road win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
In addition to drawing a penalty that led to a power-play opportunity in the first period, Archibald scored the Penguins’ first goal of that game and sparked their comeback.
Lugging the puck up from behind his own left circle, Penguins forward Ryan Poehling surged through the neutral zone, gained the offensive blue line, then offloaded a pass to Archibald on the left wing. Coasting up the boards into the left circle, Archibald lifted his left leg and then lifted a far-side wrister that beat goaltender Elvis Merzlikins’ glove at 3 minutes, 43 seconds of the second period.
“Huge,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to media in Columbus after the victory. “He had a real solid game. He brings a ton of energy. That’s the game that we knew he was capable of bringing to our team. When he does that, I think his energy is contagious. He did a terrific job with his physical play, just getting in on the forecheck. He had a couple of good hits. He drew a penalty, got us on the power play. He scores a goal, obviously. His energy was a big part of us getting into the hockey game.”
A sixth-round pick (No. 174 overall) in 2011, Archibald spent parts of five seasons in the Penguins organization before being traded to the Arizona Coyotes in December 2019 in a transaction that was more geared toward clearing roster space for other trades.
After struggling to find steady work at the NHL level with the Penguins, Archibald carved out a regular role in two seasons with the Coyotes before signing with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2019 offseason.
After three seasons in Alberta, Archibald re-signed with the Penguins this past offseason for reasons that went beyond on-ice concerns.
“It’s not just me anymore,” Archibald said to media in Edmonton on Sunday. “I’ve got family, kids at home. You have to look at the whole big picture. Pittsburgh gave me the best opportunity and the best place for my family to go back to. It was a nice homecoming.”
Monday’s 6-3 road loss to the Oilers was hardly a nice return for Archibald. He recorded 9:42 of ice time on 14 shots and had one shot on one attempt. But he was hardly the only culprit in what was a largely underwhelming performance by the Penguins.
Regardless, Archibald’s return has been embraced by those who know him best in Pittsburgh, including Sullivan, who briefly coached Archibald with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before being promoted to Pittsburgh in December 2015.
“He’s a more polished version of himself,” Sullivan said to media in Edmonton on Sunday. “He’s always been an energy guy. He’s always been a guy that could really skate. He’s always brought a physical dimension to the team. He has the ability to get under people’s skin. He’s tough to play against. He’s always had that aspect of his game. He’s a more mature player with all the experiences that he’s gone through. He’s got (249) NHL games under his belt right now. It seems like yesterday he was playing (with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton). It’s amazing how the years go by. He’s just a more mature version of himself.”