The Montreal Canadiens have announced they recalled Joshua Roy from the Laval Rocket in the AHL. Roy, 20, is considered the team’s top forward prospect.
Roy is enjoying a fantastic season for the Rocket. The rookie is currently second in team scoring with an impressive 12 goals and 18 assists, good for 30 points in 34 games. He’s also third in rookie scoring, trailing only Brandt Clarke and Logan Stankoven for the league lead.
The Canadiens avoided calling up their prized prospect in the early parts of the season despite having plenty of opportunities to fill the NHL ranks with AHL talent. The goal was for Roy to establish himself in the professional ranks before throwing him to the wolves in the NHL.
Roy started his professional career on the right foot, earning 12 points in his first six games. He cooled considerably in the following weeks, par for the course when discussing a rookie, but he’s found his scoring rhythm in recent games, scoring seven points in his last six games.
His penchant for driving to high-scoring areas has served him well. Roy, along with Brandon Gignac, has driven the Rocket’s offence on a nightly basis and is a big part of the team’s recent surge up the North Division standings, as the Rocket have won seven of their last 10 games.
Potential Usage
There are several options regarding Roy’s potential usage in the lineup when the Montreal Canadiens face the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night. Ideally, Roy would avoid fourth-line usage. He’s a young player with an impressive scoring touch, but that scoring will only be tapped if he is placed in a position that is conducive to producing.
A first-line audition is probably off the table, but playing alongside players like Sean Monahan and Rafael Harvey-Pinard would allow Roy to focus on offence alongside players who have the ability to create time and space for their linemates.
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