NHL Draft War Room: Jérémy Roy – “Le QB”

by

by Eldon MacDonald (edited by @ChrisRalphTHW)

NHL Draft War Room: Jérémy Roy

Ranked #17 – THW’s 2015 War Room Final Rankings

Jeremy Roy
Sherbrooke Phoenix defenseman Jeremy Roy (Vincent Levesque-Rousseau, Photographe du Phœnix de Sherbrooke)
  • Hashtag: #LeQB
  • Team: #97, Sherbrooke, QMJHL
  • Position: Defense
  • Shoots: Right
  • Height: 6’0
  • Weight: 185 lb.
  • Born: Richelieu, QC, 14-May-97
  • Twitter: None found

Stats

Other Rankings

  • 13 – FC – Top 30, Final
  • 19 – THW – Christopher Ralph, The Next Ones Top 120, Final
  • 22 – NHL Combined – Top 305, Final
  • 23 – ISS – Top 30, Final
  • 24 – McKeens – Top 30, Final
  • 26 – HP – Top 30, Final
  • 27 – TSN – Craig Button, Top 100, Final
  • 29 – TSN – Bob McKenzie’s Poll of NHL Scouts, Top 75, Final 

[Related: 2015 NHL Draft Guide: The Next Ones Online Edition]

THW’s Draft War Room – Jérémy Roy, “Le QB”

Eldon MacDonald, THW:  A few words on Jérémy Roy:

Le QB: The Sherbrooke Phoenix power play was one of the delights to see in junior hockey last year. Jérémy Roy, manning the point as the cerebral quarterback with the big shot or nice dish, Kay Schweri, the master chef of the soft pass on the paddle and Tim, the Goalman, Wieser who always seemed to be in the right spot to shoot when he received the pass; together they made magic. While Jérémy was a big minute eater, all-situation guy for Sherbrooke last year, it is the memories of those nights watching the magic of the Sherbrooke Phoenix power play that will cause many scouts to push for Jérémy Roy as a future power play quarterback for their team.

Five Reasons Why Jérémy Roy Is Likely to Become a Top Power Play Quarterback in the NHL

  • Instinct to be a difference maker (The It Factor): Jérémy has the confidence in himself and in his game to control a game from one end to the other. He also has the confidence to want to make the big play, to be the difference maker in a game. In short, he was the instinct to be a difference maker; it is the It Factor that elevates him above your average power play quarterback.
  • Intelligence: High-end intelligence on and off the ice. The mental ability to out think the opposition and make a play to create an advantage for his team, particularly on offense, is something you have to see a few times to truly appreciate.
  • Hockey sense: Has the hockey sense and vision to find the open man whether it is on the power play or on the breakout.
  • Puck skills: Shooting, passing, dangling – can look like magic.
  • Drive and determination: The adhesive that seals in the It Factor is the drive and determination of a true competitor – I think there must have been a little bit of Ninja presence in his family tree.

Offense

  • Passing: The snap passes, the long lead passes, the o-zone distributions to who is open, the simple pass or the jaw dropping one, a high-end passer in all zones.
  • Shooting: Excellent wrist shop and one-timer; slapper good but not elite.
  • Passing: Excels with the soft pass, the slap pass, the crisp up-ice breakout pass, the dish to the open man on the power play.
  • Hands: The hands can dangle with the puck on the stick, the hands can dish, the hands can make a hard pass or a nice cushy one. Watch the hands – now you see them, now you don’t – like magic.
  • Vision: Seems to always know whose open .

Defense

  • Transition – Magic, the time dimension from D to O.
  • Breakout – Quick, whether by pass or carrying it himself.
  • Gap control, angles – Difficult to get around him.
  • Minute eater –– Go to guy – often playing close to half the game.
  • All situation – Can be used in all situations and was last year by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Although not an overly physical, Jérémy can play with a warrior-like edge at times. In fact, Jérémy was suspended for four games after he indulged in some retaliatory slashing against Simon Desbiens of the Baie Comeau Drakkar.

Awards and Achievements

 

 

  • 2012-13: Collège Antoine-Girouard Gaulois – QMAAA Top Defenseman, most points by a defenseman, first team all-star and best student
  • 2013-14: Team Canada – U17 Worlds Hockey Challenge – Most points by a defenseman
  • 2013-14: Sherbrooke – QMJHL – Defensive Rookie of the Year and Member of QMJHL All Rookie Team
  • 2014-15: Team Canada – Ivan Hlinka Tournament – Gold Medal
  • 2014-15: Team Orr – BMO NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game
  • 2014-15: Team Canada – U18 World Junior Tournament – Bronze Medal and Top 3 team player

Improvements to make

  • Skating – Jérémy has good agility, lateral movement, balance, edges and backward skating to go along with a low centre of gravity. His high-end speed is decent but his first few steps and acceleration need working on. Generally, the top-end power play quarterbacks of average size that are successful have high-end talent in first steps and acceleration such as Duncan Keith (6’1, 192), Kris Letang (6’0, 201) and Erik Karlsson (6’0, 180).
  • Defense – Jérémy’s defense is not bad now. After all, he was used in all situations by the Phoenix last year, looked good at the BMO NHL/CHL Top Prospects Game and was chosen as one of Top Three players for Team Canada at the World U18 Tournament. However, his defense is still raw and he doesn’t yet have the instinct for defense that he does for offense that results in the right play almost all the time.
  • Strength – As with all average size players, added strength could bring substantial improvements to his game.

NHL Projection: While there is a divergence of opinion among scouts as to how good a prospect Jérémy Roy actually is, I am going to come down firmly on the side that says Jérémy Roy will become an above average power play quarterback in the NHL and be a top four pairing defenseman. My reasoning:

  • Quickness – The penalty of having somewhat less than elite feet is mitigated by the quickness of his turnover from defense to offense, the suddenness of his up ice or snap pass and his lateral ability and agility to weave around defenders.
  • Intelligence – Listen to him, he knows what he has to work on. He also has the confidence and drive to make the required improvements to his game. Add to that his on ice ability to out-think the opposition and you can start to understand why the likelihood of success is more likely yes than no.
  • Magic – However, the number one reason that Jérémy Roy will be a NHL success is his ability to perform magic on the power play. It is like watching a Viennese Waltz on ice usually followed by the percussion of a big shot by Jérémy or one of his cohorts (usually Wieser or Carl Neill). Do You Believe In Magic? I do.

Draft placement: The consensus from the rankings above would lead you to believe that Jérémy would be selected somewhere in the twenties. However, I don’t believe Jérémy Roy is a consensus pick. Some teams like him and like him a lot because of his affinity for running a highly successful power play; others may shy away due to his average size, lack of high-end skating in some areas or simply a lack of need for a power play quarterback. Last year, a couple of modestly sized power play quarterbacks were taken in the teens, Julius Honka, 5’11, 185 (13 to Dallas) and Anthony DeAngelo, 5’11, 175 (19 to Dallas). There is a very good chance that Jérémy could find himself called to the podium somewhere in the range that Honka and DeAngelo found themselves last year.

Quotable

  • Quote 1: TSN.ca – Craig Button, TSN Director of Scouting, “Jeremy’s game is based on strong play with the puck. He has that ability in all areas; defensively, offensively and in transition. Great poise with the puck and he makes strong decisions that create advantages for his team. His speed is not exceptional but his mental pace of play is outstanding. A strong competitor who finds ways to meet the challenges.”
  • Quote 2: NHL.com – Troy Dumville, NHL Central Scouting, “Jeremy is a very good puck-moving defenseman, He skates well and plays a physical game as well. He had some injuries and suspensions that limited his game total. He’s a right shot that often played left side. He can quarterback the power play and he’s highly skilled with the puck.”
  • Quote 3: The Chronicle Herald.ca – Willy Palov, Sports Reporter, “It is a particularly strong crop on defense in the Q this year and Roy is the best of the bunch, though only by a small margin. Others can match his physical tools but they don’t have his game-breaking instinct. It is that “it” factor that some scouts feel gives him an edge.”
  • Quote 4: USAToday.com – Kyle Woodlief, Redline Report, “All he does is quarterback the power play brilliantly, move the puck with rocket passes and great vision, play with passion every shift, play through injuries, and constantly influence the game in a positive way at both ends while playing close to 30 minutes some nights.”
  • Quote 5: NHL.com – Mike G. Morreale, NHL.com Staff Writer, “The leading point-producer among Quebec Major Junior Hockey League defensemen, Roy possesses great speed in transition, good hands and feistiness, plus a great shot from the point. He is a big fan of Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings.” 

Interviews

Profiles

https://twitter.com/TheDraftAnalyst/status/603296238616842240

  • Profile 1: NHL.com – Joe Yerdon – 16-Jun-15
  • Profile 2: Sportsnet.ca – Jeff Simmons – 12-Jun-15
  • Profile 3: MatchsticksAndGasoline.com – ctibs – 27-May-15
  • Profile 4: HabsEyesonThePrize.com – Mike Obrand – 26-May-15
  • Profile 5: The Hockey Writers – Shawn Reznik – 22-Mar-15

Videos