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Younger winger, a fifth-round draft choose in 2021, admits he underachieved at coaching camp and must develop extra consistency in his sport.
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Joshua Roy is the primary to confess he didn’t carry out as much as his requirements on the Canadiens’ coaching camp.
So, whereas being demoted to Montreal’s AHL affiliate in Laval was a bitter tablet to swallow, Roy mentioned he wasn’t shocked to obtain the information. The 21-year-old right-winger has vowed to do the whole lot in his energy to return to the NHL as shortly as potential.
“I simply didn’t create a number of offensive performs like I’m presupposed to do,” Roy informed The Gazette Thursday morning at Place Bell, after Rocket gamers educated off-ice previous to Friday night time’s regular-season house opener in opposition to Syracuse. “My model of play is as an offensive participant. I’m presupposed to create a number of offence. I don’t assume I had a number of touches. That’s the primary factor I may have been higher at.
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“I simply must convey extra tempo to my sport. Simply forecheck, backcheck in each zone.”
Roy, 6-feet and 192 kilos, was given each alternative to make the Canadiens, placed on a line with veterans Christian Dvorak and Josh Anderson. If that wasn’t sufficient, one other potential opening was created at ahead when Patrik Laine, scheduled to play on Montreal’s second line with Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach, suffered a sprained knee in an exhibition sport in opposition to Toronto.
However Roy, whose work ethic has been questioned up to now, appeared to play like somebody who thought his spot was assured. He may need sealed his destiny within the Canadiens’ closing exhibition sport, at Ottawa, when he was a minus-2, generated just one shot and had a turnover that led to a Senators objective.
“Everyone’s combating for his or her posts at coaching camp,” the Saint-George-de-Beauce native mentioned. “You don’t have anything assured, even if in case you have a contract. You must earn your spot. I feel I didn’t earn my spot. Now I’ve to show I can play within the (NHL).
“It was arduous once I heard the information,” Roy added. “Everyone needs to play within the NHL. I used to be fairly shut to creating the lineup, I feel. I simply need to show that I can have my spot. I simply must earn it. We have now a very good group right here (in Laval). I feel that is good for me. I’ll work on getting my confidence again.”
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Though he was solely chosen within the fifth spherical (a hundred and fiftieth general) in 2021, the gifted Roy brings an offensive aptitude to any workforce he performs for. Roy had 119- and 99-point seasons to conclude his junior profession, earlier than scoring 13 objectives and 32 factors in 41 video games with the Rocket final season. However he additionally was a team-worst minus-17.
When the Canadiens have been hit arduous by accidents, Roy was recalled in mid-January. He scored his first NHL objective in his third sport, at New Jersey, and had 4 objectives and 9 factors in 23 video games earlier than struggling a fractured hand in March. He recovered in time to affix Laval late, however the workforce didn’t make the playoffs.
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has by no means hidden his affinity for Roy’s expertise, however admitted the prospect squandered a possibility and should develop into extra constant. St. Louis believes Roy hasn’t reached his ceiling and may develop into an everyday within the NHL.
Pascal Vincent, Laval’s new head coach, mentioned he’ll do his finest to push Roy again to Montreal whereas increasing his capability.
“We’re making an attempt to develop what they’re doing very well proper now and set up their basis, after which develop from there,” Vincent defined. “For Josh, I do know the notion is one factor, however he’s nonetheless a younger man. He’s performed (solely) 23 video games within the NHL, however has these expectations. I don’t know the place they’re coming from.
“It’s not a failure if he doesn’t meet these expectations. He’s a younger participant with large upside and abilities. His intentions are good. Now we have to discover and develop from his basis up. He’s nonetheless growing as a younger participant. The very fact he created that notion says rather a lot about what he did up to now. His perspective is off the chart and actually good. He needs to get higher.”
Vincent has Roy taking part in on the highest line, with not too long ago demoted Alex Barré-Boulet and Brandon Gignac. Roy additionally performs on Laval’s prime power-play unit. Whereas Roy has but to register a degree by two video games, he had 9 whole photographs but additionally is a minus-3.
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
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