The Tampa Bay Lightning added to their forward depth today as they signed Josh Archibald to a two-year contract with an AAV of $880,000.
Archibald was a 6th-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2011 and has amassed a total of 305 NHL games over an 8-year career with the Penguins, Coyotes, and Oilers. Last season in 62 games with the Penguins he scored 6 goals and added 6 assists. For his career, he has 45 goals and 38 assists.
He will likely find a home somewhere on the fourth line and penalty kill as the Bolts continue to bolster their forward ranks following the departures of Ross Colton, Corey Perry, and likely Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.
Official Press Release:
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed free agent forward Josh Archibald to a two-year contract worth an AAV of $800,000, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Archibald, 5-foot-10, 176 pounds, played in 62 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2022-23, recording six goals and 12 points with a plus-6 rating, good for third on the team. He also ranked second on the team for hits with 195.
The Regina, Saskatchewan native has skated in 305 career NHL games with the Penguins, Edmonton Oilers and Arizona Coyotes, recording 45 goals and 83 points. Archibald won the Stanley Cup with Pittsburgh in 2017, when he appeared in four postseason games after being called up from the AHL. He has played in 24 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with Pittsburgh and Edmonton, recording a goal and an assist.
Prior to joining the professional ranks, Archibald spent three seasons with the University of Nebraska-Omaha where he amassed 58 goals and 94 points in 112 games. He was named a Hobey Baker Award Finalist for the 2013-14 season.
Archibald represented Canada at the 2012 IIHF World Junior Championships, registering two assists in six games.
He was drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth round, 174th overall, in the 2011 NHL Draft.
