Golden Knights roster review: Nicolas Roy

The Review-Journal presents its “Roster Review” series, which will examine each Golden Knights player’s current production and future outlook in alphabetical order. Monday: Forward Nicolas Roy.

Background

The Golden Knights’ organization ran into a rather large obstacle chasing a championship last season.

The Chicago Wolves put together an impressive American Hockey League playoff run in which they reached the Calder Cup Final. All they needed to do to lift the trophy was beat the Charlotte Checkers and their 6-foot-4-inch behemoth of a center.

It didn’t happen.

Nicolas Roy outscored Knights top prospect Cody Glass in the series while defending him often at five-on-five. The Checkers, unsurprisingly, won the Cup.

That’s something the Knights didn’t forget last summer when they discussed an Erik Haula trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, Charlotte’s NHL affiliate. The Knights wanted the center on their side.

So that player, Hurricanes prospect Roy, was sent to Las Vegas as part of the deal. His four-point, plus-5 showing in the five-game Calder Cup Final was tantalizing enough that his new team wanted to see more.

“He was one of Charlotte’s better players, without a doubt,” Wolves coach Rocky Thompson said in September. “I think there’s a ton of potential with Nicolas.”

Production

Roy, 23, has shown that promise in glimpses as a rookie.

His first goal, against the Anaheim Ducks, displayed his speed and strength. A tally against the St. Louis Blues in January — part of the greatest comeback win in Knights’ history — showed off his grit and tenacity.

He just hasn’t exhibited those talents consistently, largely because he hasn’t been consistently around.

Roy has been a victim of a season-long salary cap crunch for the Knights. He has frequently bounced between the NHL and AHL — to the tune of 31 transactions since the season began — so the team could gain financial flexibility.

Roy hasn’t whined, though. He’s just worked. Thompson said he often caught Roy and fellow Knights rookie Zach Whitecloud in hotel gyms after plane rides when they were in the AHL.

Those efforts started to show up on the ice as Roy spent more time in the NHL. He’s tightened his defense. He’s learned to use his big frame effectively. He has all the makings of a valuable bottom-six forward.

There’s even the potential to be more than that.

With Mark Stone injured, Roy played second-line right wing in the team’s last four games before the season was paused because of the coronavirus pandemic and fared well.

“He’s just scratching the surface of his abilities,” coach Pete DeBoer said in March. “He’s just growing into his body. He’s just getting some of that strength that you need to be able to create some room for yourself at this level. He’s got a high IQ. He’s highly skilled. He makes a lot of plays. He’s good defensively. He’s got a big upside.”

Future

The Knights have already invested in that ability.

Roy received a two-year contract extension in April with an average annual value of $750,000. He hopes it’s just the first sign that his AHL days are behind him.

“That was my goal, to prove that I belonged in the NHL,” Roy said after signing the deal. “This contract shows that I was able to do that.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.