Vancouver Canucks Prospects Coverage: LW Darren Archibald

Darren Archibald of the Vancouver Canucks is a left-winger from Newmarket, Ontario. Archibald played his junior career for the Barrie Colts, which is about an hour drive down Yonge Street north from his hometown.

The biggest strength of Archibald's game is his size, his decent hands for a player his stature, and his willingness to drive towards the net. He plays with power, and he is likely going to develop into a tough physical force as a grinder in the NHL.

Here are the stats from Archibald's time in the juniors, when he spent most of his time as a Top 6 forward.

2008-09: 68GP, 25 G, 24 A, 49 PTS. Playoffs: 7 points in 5 games.

2009-10: 57GP, 26 G, 33 A, 59 PTS. Playoffs: 10 points in 16 games.

2010-11: 61GP, 41 G, 25 A, 66 PTS. Playoffs: 14 points in 14 games.

The Canucks signed Archibald to an entry level contract before Christmas in 2010. The scouts saw something special in his team that may bring a different element to the Canucks lineup further down the road.

At 22 years of age, Archibald is learning his game with the ECHL Kalamazoo Wings. Given a solid amount of training with his skating and some skills training, Archibald may find himself dressed in Chicago Wolves uniform in 2012.

Like many young players, Archibald will get his invite to the prospects camp, training camp, and likely a couple of pre-season games before the regular season begins in October. Therefore, Archibald has several months to prepare himself in advance of a new season.

This is Joseph Trenton reporting from Vancouver.

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