Nicolas Roy is the perfect off-season trade target for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

There’s no doubting Kyle Dubas’ intention to make an immediate splash for the Pittsburgh Penguins this offseason. With a never ending task list to improve the team, Dubas must address multiple issues over the next few months to catapult the Penguins back into Stanley Cup contention.

A great way to make that splash would be to engage the Stanley Cup champions in some trade chatter. One Vegas Golden Knights' forward in particular, Nicolas Roy, stands out as a perfect piece to pursue in order to improve the third line and scoring depth. 

Nicolas Roy: Bottom Six Extraordinaire

Originally a fourth round pick by the Carolina Hurricanes, Roy finally got to prove his worth at the NHL level after being traded to the Golden Knights. A bottom-six contributor immediately, he worked his way up to be a 15-goal, 35-point scorer and earned a five-year, $15 million deal last summer. 

This season, he rewarded the team with 14 goals and anchored the team’s punishing fourth line. The biggest knock against him is his face off percentage, as he’s routinely been less than 50% in the face off dot. However, that is the only part of his game that leaves more to be desired. He works hard, he plays physical all over the ice, kills penalties, blocks shots, and will be a player you want on the ice when defending a lead. He had 45 takeaways this past season and averaged just over 16 minutes of ice time per game. 

Offensively, Roy works just as hard. He gets in behind the net on the forecheck and parks himself in front of the crease with pleasure when the team establishes offensive zone possession. He can also float out and give you a trusted shooting option.

Roy registered 101 shots this past season, for a slightly inflated shooting percentage of 13.9%. However, he has hovered around 10.5-11% over his four NHL seasons. Roy is not a player who has 25 goal potential, but he can be counted on for 15-20. 

Roy is a postseason player as well. While he averages around .41 points per game in the regular season, he increases his output in the postseason with a .46 points per game. This most recent playoff run was no exception, as he added on three goals and 11 points in 22 games.

Cap Hit Makes Sense

At 26-years-old, Roy is in the prime of his career. He’s established as a bottom six presence, and he’s cashed out on that. He has four more seasons at his current cap hit of $3 million, and he should stay at the same level of productivity for the duration of his contract. In a world where bottom six players get overpaid, long term deals (cough, New York Rangers’ Barclay Goodrow deal, cough), Roy’s contract is perfect. The Penguins could easily make his contract work under the salary cap, and they would add a trusted forward to their bottom six. 

Having won his first championship, the value on Roy is at a premium. However, the Golden Knights are tight against the salary cap, with only one goaltender under contract next season. Perhaps Roy will be a casualty of their cap crunch, and perhaps the Penguins could capitalize on their loss. 

The Penguins need to make several moves to reinsert themselves into playoff or Stanley Cup contention. One of the best ways to speed this process up is to fortify their middle six lineups. Roy is a bonafide, reliable, and exciting third line option that could make for Dubas’ first big move as the head executive of the Penguins. 

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