After four seasons in the QMJHL — during which time he was one of the most improved players in the league — and winning two gold medals at the World Juniors, Joshua Roy turned pro in 2023-24. The 2021 fifth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens started the season with the Laval Rocket, looking to show the league that him sliding as late as he did in the draft was a mistake.
It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as one of the best forwards in Laval, and a legitimate top-six option in the AHL. This shot him quickly up the list when it came to call-ups, and when the injury bug came for the Canadiens, Roy got his shot. Through 23 games, he put up nine points, and managed to look good playing on the de facto second line for the Habs.
He only lost his spot in the lineup due to a freak hand injury while blocking a shot, and likely would have finished the season in Montreal had that not happened. Notwithstanding the injury, his debut professional season went about as well as it could go, and certainly outperformed what can normally be expected of 150th-overall picks.
Heading into his sophomore season, and looking to spend its entirety with the big club, he’ll be aiming to further prove himself to be one of the best draft steals for the Canadiens in recent memory.
Voting
The majority of our panel, including the community vote, placed Roy in the eight to 12 range. He finds himself in a top-10 comprised of nothing but quality NHLers and blue-chip prospects.
To the surprise of absolutely nobody, I was the high vote, placing him at the end of my top five. Even as one of his biggest supporters, this was a slight drop from my ranking of four last year, highlighting the strength of the pool around him.
The community vote was very similar. A couple of members agreed with me on a top-five placement, but the majority slotted him from eighth and 12th.
Top 25 Under 25 History
| 2023: #9 | 2022: #7 | 2021: #22 |
Roy was an incredibly fast riser, debuting at 22 back in 2021, then jumping all the way to seven in 2022. He fell two spots due to the prospect group getting stronger, and maintains his spot just inside the top 10 this year. He probably deserved to rise a few spots on the list, but falls victim to the growing strength of the organization.
History of #9
| Year | #9 |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Joshua Roy |
| 2022 | Jordan Harris |
| 2021 | Jordan Harris |
| 2020 | Ryan Poehling |
| 2019 | Alexander Romanov |
| 2018 | Noah Juulsen |
| 2017 | Michael McCarron |
| 2016 | Sven Andrighetto |
| 2015 | Jarred Tinordi |
| 2014 | Artturi Lehkonen |
| 2013 | Louis Leblanc |
| 2012 | Danny Kristo |
| 2011 | Aaron Palushaj |
| 2010 | Tom Pyatt |
Strengths
While he doesn’t quite have any elite tools, It’s hard to find an aspect of the game that Roy doesn’t do well. The cornerstone of his game is excellent, perhaps even elite hockey IQ and positioning, allowing him to fit in seamlessly with any linemates, as evidenced by how versatile he was for Team Canada at the World Juniors. He anticipates the play well, and it more than makes up for his lack of speed. He gets rave reviews from his linemates — even Connor Bedard — for how easy he is to play with.
His shot, puck-handling, and playmaking vision are all very good. Not elite, but by combining these tools, he has a variety of ways to generate chances for himself and his teammates.
The physical side of his game is also quite underrated. At six feet tall and just over 200 pounds, he is very strong on his skates, and thrives in tight spaces where he has to fight his way out. If he needs to be in more of a puck-retrieval role, he is very adept at winning puck battles, and quickly locating the right play after winning.
The defensive side of his game improved exponentially since his draft year, and he’s now one of the better defensive wingers the Canadiens have seen in some time. This is most apparent in transitional defence, where he anticipates passes well, keeps an active stick, and can frustrate his opponents to no end when lurking in the neutral zone and creating turnovers.
Weaknesses
As mentioned, he relies on anticipation to make up for a lack of speed, so skating is still his biggest area for improvement. He has gotten better since his draft year, improving his mechanics and getting better at mixing in crossovers to build up speed, but he still won’t wow anyone with how fast he is out there.
If he can make some more gains on the skating front, it would help him be more impactful in transition, and improve his ability to play higher in the lineup. He’s already seen top-six minutes in the NHL and hasn’t looked out of place, but continued work on his skating would unlock another level to his potential production.
Projection
Prior to the addition of Patrik Laine, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Roy would be heading straight for a top-six role in Montreal this season. He still might find a spot there, as it will depend on how Martin St-Louis wants to configure his second and third lines, but the pressure is off now. He doesn’t have to play in the top six, but might be an option depending on how things shake out at camp.
This could be extremely beneficial for Roy, as he’s not going to be immediately relied upon to be a main offensive contributor. The organization knows he can play in the top half of the lineup, but they can focus on chemistry and how to get the most out of the players they have available to them. Roy finds chemistry quickly with most players, so he could help them get some other players going in the right direction.
It would be quite surprising to see him back in Laval. It wouldn’t hurt his development if it happens, but he proved he belongs in the NHL when he was called up last season. He can’t walk into camp and act like a lineup spot is a given, but he’ll know he has a very good chance of starting the season in Montreal’s middle six.
The fanbase has been hoping the team could find another Artturi Lehkonen ever since he was sent to Colorado. The closest thing that they have right now is Roy, as his strong defensive presence and offensive upside on the wing do bear some resemblance to our dearly departed Finn. That is essentially Roy’s projection right now: a very good middle-six winger with some scoring upside and a great defensive game. Continued work on his skating gives him a ceiling that creeps into versatile top-six winger.
He’s a player I would absolutely hate to see the Canadiens lose, because, like Lehkonen, I fear he’d be a key piece to help his next team win a Cup.
The Bannerman for Joshua Roy’s success, Matt Drake, joins the podcast to talk about Joshua Roy’s development and projection.
0:30 – When will the prince become the King, as the meaning of his name predicts?
3:45 – Patrik Laine’s arrival and what it means for Joshua Roy
7:00 – Joshua Roykonen?
8:45 – Weakness centred around skating, but offseason improvements every year.
11:30 – Can he handle an 82+ game season, or will he have to mature/build into it?
13:50 – Commercial Break
14:00 – Expectations / projections for next year?
16:30 – Roy’s defensive game, does it hold up?
19:00 – Roy to Laval due to line up constrictions and not needing waivers?
21:00 – Oliver Kapanen on the NHL team until December / Montreal Canadiens a meritocracy.
