Canadiens Prospect Joshua Roy In Familiar Situation

There are few prospects who have worked harder than Joshua Roy between the time they were picked in their respective junior leagues, to the time they made their professional hockey debuts.

In a sense, the mere fact that Roy made it to the NHL last year is a testament to his impressive evolution.

And while he’s almost certainly devastated to be the final forward cut from camp, his demotion to the AHL is not the first time Le Sniper Beauceron has faced adversity.

Roy has almost always been among the most talented players on any given sheet of ice, but his effort level left something to be desired from the moment he started playing in the QMJHL. It took an honest moment from Roy to take the next step in his hockey career, which meant focusing on becoming a well-rounded player rather than just a forward who doesn’t add to the Zamboni’s workload in the defensive zone.

It will once again take an honest moment from the 21-year-old if he’s to return to the NHL as quickly as possible.

Admittedly, I’ve lobbied for Roy’s inclusion in the Canadiens’ roster to start the season despite his relatively poor showing during a chaotic training camp. And I’ve never shied away from discussing his potential, his intelligence, or his excellent stats in the NHL last season.

I’d go as far as saying Roy has the potential to become a true 200-foot player, a term that’s thrown around way too often in the NHL. I’m also well aware that he has a tendency to run red-hot, followed by stretches of underwhelming performances. Training camp happened to be held during one of those underwhelming stretches.

Beyond his relatively poor play at camp, we also have to recognize his style of play does not lend itself well to public scrutiny when he starts to squeeze his stick a little too tightly. A player who uses anticipation as his main weapon will rarely be described as a hard worker, a reality that Roy will have to come to terms with now that he’s playing professional hockey.