Nicolas Roy is eager to contribute to Maple Leafs: ‘This group is ready to win right now’

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nicolas Roy is chomping at the bit to contribute to the winning ways of his new team.

Roy was acquired as the primary return piece in the monumental sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights that saw Mitch Marner leave behind his childhood team on Tuesday. While he is far from the level of star talent that is leaving the organization, the 28-year-old should be able to provide some value down the middle and in the middle-six.

When speaking with reporters over Zoom, Roy revealed that he found out about the trade while on a trip with his friends and is set to get married in two weeks.

“I want to be part of a team that’s winning and watching the playoffs last year, the Panthers were the biggest challenge to the Leafs and this group is ready to win right now,” Roy said. “That’s why I want to be part of a team like that, for sure.”

In a roundabout way, getting to suit up in the Blue-and-White will be fulfilling a childhood dream for Roy because he admitted that he grew up cheering for the Leafs and that his favourite player was Mats Sundin. Once Sundin left the organization when Roy was around 12 years old, he switched allegiance to the Montreal Canadiens though his allegiance now goes back to the Leafs.

Of course, getting to play for a team you once grew up cheering for is one thing and contributing to their success is another. Roy will be able to provide that championship-winning mentality as he was part of the Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup run.

“I think that full experience, every time you win with a team, you know what it takes. There’s always gonna be ups and downs, and just the pressure of the moment, I think it’s really what I enjoy,” Roy said. “ I really like to play in those big moments. I think that’s what we play for as hockey players. So obviously, I’m bringing the Stanley Cup experience that I got with me, but I got a lot of experience in the playoffs as well.”

Roy added that for a team to have success in the playoffs, it comes down to everyone on the roster accepting their roles, being willing to step up when a void emerges, and giving it their all every night. These are some lessons that the remaining crop of the core pieces of the Leafs will surely need to take to heart if they wish to finally reach the summit.

The 28-year-old expressed his enthusiasm to team up with the likes of Auston Matthews and William Nylander to see how they conduct themselves daily. Perhaps there is a different world where he would have gotten to play alongside Marner as well, but instead he is heading over to Las Vegas.

“Obviously, knowing what Mitch has been doing in the league for a long time, what he means to this organization. He’s been a big part of this group. He’s an awesome player,” Roy said of Marner. “There’s been a lot of pressure in what he’s meant to the team and there’s only one thing I can control, and it’s getting ready for the season, getting ready this summer, working out, skating, getting ready for the season so that’s what I’m focusing on right now.”