The Montreal Canadiens kicked off their 2023 rookie tournament with a 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Friday night. Were this any more than a glorified scrimmage, the result could be construed as concerning, but the real point of these games is to see some of the teams’ prospects in action ahead of their respective main training camps.
The good news for the Canadiens is that there were some bright spots in that loss. Most notably, in my opinion, were the performances of Owen Beck and Joshua Roy.
Roy was a problem for the Sabres on the forecheck. He was often pinning his opposition to the boards, if not using those same boards to his advantage in puck protection, and applying pressure everywhere in the offensive zone. Even as they’d try to leave their zone, Roy would creep near the blue line and look to disrupt their breakout.
The physicality he brought served him well in tying the game early in the third period, as he fought for position in front of the net and put a tip through. This is perhaps the most underrated aspect of Roy’s game; he can and will outwork or outmuscle opposing defenders in the offensive zone.
These are two players that could reasonably expect to see playing time together in Montreal in the future, which is why their chemistry was the story of the game for me. Their respective defensive acumen could help form a true shutdown line down the road, and one with legitimate scoring potential as well, if and when they find the right third. It won’t happen this season, of course, but it’s never a bad thing to see chemistry between two young players before their careers even get started.
Click the play button below to listen to your full Bottom Six Minutes, in which I also discuss some other performances that piqued my interest. David Reinbacher, Xavier Simoneau, and William Trudeau also garnered some appreciation that couldn’t quite fit into the brevity of this article. Hurricane Lee permitting, I’ll have another episode out after tomorrow afternoon’s game.
