Oilers Sign F Josh Archibald To 2-Year Extension

The Edmonton Oilers announced a two-year contract extension for F Josh Archibald on Friday afternoon. The deal comes a day after Archibald passed a career high in goals, scoring his 13th of the season against Chicago this past Thursday.

The deal will carry a reported $1.5 million AAV which is a reasonable increase to his current cap hit of $1 million. It has been a season to remember for Archibald so far. In 58 games the Saskatchewan native has put a career high in goals with 13 and is only a point away from surpassing his career high of 22 points set during the 2018-19 season.

Rumours that Ken Holland was working on an extension with Archibald have been circulating for a few weeks now and it is no secret that the organization is high on the player. He has been a useful plug-and-play player that can play anywhere in the lineup. He has been a staple on the team’s 3rd line but has recently found some time beside Connor McDavid on the top line.

He has also proved to be a key piece of Edmonton’s league leading penalty-killing unit. It’s a deal that carries little to no risk as Archibald will be 29 by the time the deal expires.

My Take:

I actually don’t mind this deal all that much. The term might be one year longer than I would of done but that extra year isn’t going to make me hate this. Archibald is still relatively young and if he can continue to play the exact type of game he’s showing us now, then it will be worth it.

The money isn’t too concerning either. At $1.5 million I think this is the exact spot I would have pitched Archibald. Edmonton’s cap situation is still concerning but, with reports of the cap increasing more than expected this summer, this shouldn’t hamper Edmonton’s plans too much.

Overall, this was well done by Holland. He didn’t overpay for a known talent and was able to lock him down for an additional year. It’s a decent bet with little risk and I look forward to seeing Archie in an Oilers jersey for the next two seasons.