Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News listed Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy as one of the five NHL players who are being squeezed out by trade deadline additions.
Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News listed Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy as one of the five NHL players who are being squeezed out by trade deadline additions.
Jacob Stoller of The Hockey News listed Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy as one of the five NHL players who are being squeezed out by trade deadline additions.
Cole Perfetti of the Winnipeg Jets, Simon Benoit of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Carolina Hurricanes and Ryan Suter of the Dallas Stars filled out the rest of the list.
Roy's performance this season isn't the reason why he's being squeezed out or receiving a lesser role. This season he's scored 11 goals and 35 points in 59 games bringing him four goals and four points back of his career highs despite his TOI being lower than the previous two seasons. With the injuries the Golden Knights have faced this season, he is also averaging 1:42 of power play time per game.
The only reason Roy is being squeezed out is because the Golden Knights were able to find players who produce more in the same role that Roy has been playing in. The addition of Anthony Mantha lowers him on the depth chart in certain situations. When playing with an extra attacker and as a shooter on the second power-play unit.
Where the 27-year-old centreman will really feel the effects of the trade deadline is when Tomas Hertl makes his Golden Knights debut. Hertl will likely slide into his role as the second-line centre. Roy will be bumped down into the bottom six and his power play minutes could disappear.
Of course, every NHL player would love to play in the top six and be on the ice in high-pressure scenarios but for the Golden Knights having Roy in the bottom six can be very beneficial. Roy is a trustworthy, two-way forward that Bruce Cassidy can feel comfortable playing against the opponent's top players.
Pairing him with William Karlsson against the opponent's top lines can allow Jack Eichel's line to get more favourable matchups to produce more offence.
The 6'4, 202lbs forward has produced very well in the playoffs despite the limited role he's had. The possibility of playing on a shutdown line can be the way Roy keeps a prominent role in the lineup.
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