Sens, Canucks swap goalies in multi-player trade

The Ottawa Senators tradednetminderMike McKenna, forward TomPyattand a sixth-round pick in the 2019 NHL draft to the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday for goalie Anders Nilsson and minor-league winger Darren Archibald.

Nilsson, 28, had a 3-8-1 record with a 3.03 goals-against average and an .895 save percentage this season with Vancouver as Jacob Markstrom grabbed the reins as Vancouver's No. 1 goalie.

Canucks general manager Jim Benning said on a conference call after the deal was announced that he had been in discussions with Senators counterpart Pierre Dorion, who is in Vancouver for the world junior hockey championship, for some time.

"We've been talking about this for a while," Benning said. "This is a deal for us that, I think, gives us flexibility and keeps our options open."

Archibald, also 28, had one goal and one assist in nine games with the Canucks to go along with 16 points (11 goals, five assists) in 23 games with the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League.

After the deal was announced, Archibald was assigned to the AHL's Belleville Senators.

McKenna, 35, was 1-4-1 with a 3.96 goal-against average with Ottawa this season, while Pyatt, 31, had two assists in 37 games.

Benning said Pyatt, who cleared waivers before the trade was finalized, will join the Comets.

The Canucks and Senators, who are currently without injured starting goalie Craig Andersonas he recovers from a concussion, were set to play in Ottawa on Wednesday night.

McKenna will be backup

Benningsaid McKenna would back upMarkstromagainst the Senators and again Thursday in Montreal when theCanucksvisit theCanadiens.

But Vancouver's GM indicated prized goalie prospect Thatcher Demko, 23, would likely be recalled from Utica soon.

"We'll look at our options here the next couple days,"Benning said. "But one of the things that we wanted to do was to make room to get Thatcher up here and get him going."

The36thpick in the 2014 NHL draft,Demkois 7-5-0 in the AHL this season with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

Markstromis 16-10-3 in 2018-19 with a 2.81 GAA and a .910 save percentage. He was 8-1 in December with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.

The 28-year-old's rise means thatDemkocan ease into the NHL rather than get thrown into the fire.

"We've been patient with (Demko's) development,"Benningsaid. "He's been down (in the AHL) for 2 years. He's playing really well down there right now. We just felt like the foundation for his game is set."

"Now it's time for him to move up here so we can get a look at where he's at versus NHL competition."