Pyatt, 31, was placed on waivers Tuesday by the Senators after recording just two points across 37 contests this season. McKenna has appeared in 10 games, going 1-4-1 with a .897 save percentage.
Archibald has spent the majority of his season with the AHL's Utica Comets, posting 11 goals and five assists in 23 games. Nilsson has played a backup role in Vancouver, managing a .895 save percentage in 12 appearances.
Travel shouldn't be an issue for the players involved in the deal - the Senators and Canucks square off in Ottawa on Wednesday night.
Ovechkin was named captain of the Metropolitan Division squad on Dec. 27. Per NHL policy, he will be forced to sit out one regular season game for skipping the event.
The Capitals play 12 games in January leading up to the festivities, which begin with the annual skills competition on Jan. 25. Washington then has its bye week before returning to action Feb. 1.
Alex Ovechkin on decision to skip the NHL All-Star Game: “My body needs a rest.”#ALLCAPS
Ovechkin, 33, has participated in seven All-Star Games throughout his career. He currently leads the league with 29 goals while adding 16 assists in 38 games.
In the third edition of theScore's Norris Trophy Power Rankings, one blue-liner takes a sizable step ahead of the pack. You can read November's rankings here.
Note: Ottawa Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot was excluded from this edition due to an upper-body injury that will keep him out for at least three weeks.
ATOI = Average time on ice SCF% = Percentage of scoring chances generated while player was on the ice at 5-on-5 HDCF% = Percentage of high-danger scoring chances generated while player was on the ice at 5-on-5
5. Kris Letang, Penguins
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
SCF%
HDCF%
37
8
25
33
25:59
55.37
53.51
During an up-and-down season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Letang has been a rock. He's on pace for one of his best offensive campaigns, but is playing perhaps his most responsible defensive hockey ever. The 31-year-old has more takeaways (32) than giveaways (24) for the first time in his career.
4. Erik Karlsson, Sharks
Ezra Shaw / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
SCF%
HDCF%
39
3
29
32
24:34
57.21
56.61
Anyone who thought Karlsson was done after a slow start to his tenure with the San Jose Sharks probably feels foolish right now. The slick Swede has really hit his stride, picking up 17 points over his last 12 games. He's also excelling at both ends of the ice while suppressing shots and scoring chances at some of the best rates of his career.
3. Brent Burns, Sharks
Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
SCF%
HDCF%
41
6
34
40
23:56
55.74
54.22
While Karlsson may be tearing it up lately, Burns has been the Sharks' most consistent player from the start of the season. He's on pace for another near point-per-game year, and is doing that while drastically cutting down on his turnovers.
2. Mark Giordano, Flames
Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
SCF%
HDCF%
38
6
31
37
24:42
55.01
51.78
Giordano has been one of the past decade's most underrated blue-liners, but he's finally gaining the recognition he deserves during a career year at age 35. Even as Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, and others enjoy stellar seasons in Calgary, it's clear Giordano is the Flames' MVP.
1. Morgan Rielly, Maple Leafs
Kirk Irwin / Getty Images Sport / Getty
GP
G
A
P
ATOI
SCF%
HDCF%
39
13
31
44
22:24
49.7
49.8
Even with all the offensive firepower surrounding Rielly on the Toronto Maple Leafs, it's still unfathomable that he's on pace for 93 points nearing the midway mark of the season. He may not be as elite defensively as some other players on this list, but threatening to become the first blue-liner to reach 90 points since Ray Bourque in 1993-94 gives him the edge.
Gary Bettman says he hasn't reached out to the Dallas Stars and doesn't plan to intervene in the team's front-office drama following Jim Lites' remarks last week.
"We’re never going to condone profanity," the NHL commissioner said during the Winter Classic at Notre Dame Stadium on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press. "As a general rule, I don’t interfere in internal team dynamics."
Bettman continued to be diplomatic when he elaborated on Lites' critical comments from Friday. The Stars CEO called the recent play of captain Jamie Benn and superstar center Tyler Seguin "fucking horseshit."
"I’ve known Jim Lites for as long as I’ve been in the NHL and I know him to be passionate," Bettman said. "I also respect the fact that Jamie and Tyler are terrific players and have done a great deal to grow the game in North America, particularly in Texas. … I think we saw some frustration there. That comes from the fact that people are very competitive and want to do better."
There have been conversations between the NHL and both Florida-based teams about the possibility of a nighttime Winter Classic in the future, commissioner Gary Bettman said on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Bettman confirmed earlier on Tuesday that one of those eight squads, the Dallas Stars, will host the 2020 Winter Classic at Cotton Bowl Stadium against a to-be-determined opponent.
That will be the southernmost Winter Classic in NHL history, a feat that a game in either Tampa Bay or Sunrise, Fla. would eclipse.
Allan Walsh reportedly talked to Brad Treliving about Michael Frolik before calling out Calgary Flames head coach Bill Peters for making the forward a healthy scratch.
Walsh, who represents Frolik, and Treliving, the Flames general manager, discussed the Frolik situation a few times over the past several weeks prior to Walsh's criticism on Twitter, sources confirmed to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Many people in Calgary have been reaching out asking why Michael Frolik is a healthy scratch. Keeping one of the teams most efficient and versatile forwards in the stands marginalizes and devalues a great team player. Head coach’s attempt to run a good player out of town?
Peters reinserted Frolik into the lineup for Monday's win over the San Jose Sharks, in which the 30-year-old winger was reunited with his old linemates, Mikael Backlund and Matthew Tkachuk, on the Flames' second line.
Frolik notched a pair of assists and played 14:44 for his heaviest workload since Nov. 1, when he logged nearly 16 minutes against the Colorado Avalanche.
He missed 15 games with an injury but has seven goals and nine points in 23 contests.
The Winnipeg Jets and Calgary Flames will participate in the NHL Heritage Classic on Oct. 26 at Mosaic Stadium in Regina, Saskatchewan, commissioner Gary Bettman announced during the Winter Classic on Tuesday.
Mosaic Stadium is home to the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders and holds a crowd of 33,350. Next year's rendition of the Heritage Classic will serve as the fifth since 2003.
Both Winnipeg and Calgary have previously participated in the event. The Jets took on the Edmonton Oilers outdoors in 2016, while the Flames defeated the Montreal Canadiens at McMahon Stadium in 2011.
The Blackhawks opened the scoring in the first period with a goal from Brendan Perlini, but the Bruins answered quickly as David Pastrnak buried his 24th of the season four minutes later. Dominik Kahun and Patrice Bergeron traded goals in the middle frame before Boston pulled away in third.
The event drew a sellout crowd of 76,162 - the second-largest crowd in Winter Classic history, according to NHL Public Relations.
The Blackhawks fall to 1-5 in their long history of outdoor games while the Bruins improve to 2-1.
