Obviously, the term “win” is used very loosely in the headline. The Montreal Canadiens are not in a position to win much down the stretch based on how their calendar year has gone so far. However, they are in a position to finish the 2023-24 season stronger with rookie Joshua Roy in the lineup than without him.
Some may suggest Roy would benefit from the extended stay in the NHL. It’s important that he does to justify any decision to that effect. However, this is a case of the Canadiens more so benefitting from what he can do for them than the other way around.
Roy Replaces Harvey-Pinard
Now, Roy is no savior. Any self-respecting messiah would have a hard time leading this group of Canadiens to the promised land. Injuries have taken hold anew, with defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Jordan Harris and forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard having recently visited with the team’s medical staff. It’s the latter’s projected 4-6 week absence that prompted the Canadiens to call up Roy in the first place (as an emergency loan per CapFriendly).
Well, it’s technically the second place, in that Roy played six games in mid-to-late January before getting sent back down. He scored two points in those games, which may not be impressive superficially speaking. However, generally speaking, most would say he looked far from out of place playing with Joel Armia, who coincidentally collided with Harvey-Pinard to force him out of the lineup, and Sean Monahan, who’s since been traded to the Winnipeg Jets.
Related: Canadiens Forward Armia Makes Most of Latest Chance with Habs
Both events have led the Canadiens to this point, where they’ve effectively become a one-line team. Combined with the injuries, that’s the reason why you’re seeing them get shelled 38-20 in shots like they were on Day 1 of Super Bowl weekend against the Dallas Stars, losing 3-2, with No. 1 centre Nick Suzuki figuring in on both Habs goals.
Canadiens Lose to Blues in Embarrassing Fashion
On Day 2 of the annual set of back-to-back home games, the shot count was closer (36-32), but the goal differential certainly wasn’t. The Canadiens lost 7-2 to the St. Louis Blues, with Suzuki once again figuring into the score with his 17th of the season. Armia got the other Habs goal, which may not be worth all that much, other than him having been put on a line centred by the back-from-injury Alex Newhook, with the redebuting Roy on the wing.
That’s just to reiterate Roy should not be expected to salvage this season from a win-loss perspective. Now that the Canadiens are a healthy 10 points back of the Detroit Red Wings, who have one game in hand, for the second Eastern Conference wild-card spot, that train has long since left the station. However, there are still ways to salvage the season.
The top key to success in this suddenly losing 21-23-8 season? To let the young Habs develop properly. While keeping other forward prospects like Jan Mysak (16 points in 40 games with the Laval Rocket) and Riley Kidney (14 in 41) in the American Hockey League makes sense from a developmental perspective, Roy (32 in 40) is a different story.
Roy and the Rocket
Maybe Roy isn’t done with the AHL. That’s hard to determine based on the data everyone’s seen up to now. However, he should be done with it for this season, due to how there’s room for him on what appears to be the team’s second line. Consider the rest of the Canadiens lineup against the Blues. Not to go too in depth on the subject, but, as alluded to earlier, the Habs have none. They need someone with top-six potential, like Roy, to not just get some looks for his benefit but as a body for theirs. They need a prospect with Roy’s potential to help fans stay excited for the remaining 30 games, because a single line won’t cut it.
In fairness, Roy is the Rocket’s second-leading scorer. He can certainly help the Rocket, who are technically still in more of a playoff race, more than he can help the Canadiens. However, at 20-19-4-2 and one point out of last place in the AHL’s North Division, the Rocket aren’t exactly having a great season themselves.
So, there isn’t exactly an argument you’d be sparing Roy from a tire fire of a season by sending him down. Plus, if the Habs can keep up the Rocket’s leading scorer, Brandon Gignac, who doesn’t realistically have as high of an NHL ceiling as Roy, they certainly can keep up the latter as well, as long as it makes sense.
And it does, at least in the context of Roy continuing to play in the supposed top six. Hopefully head coach Martin St. Louis realizes the loss to the Blues, at least why it was so lopsided, was in large part due to an off night from goalie Jake Allen. Hopefully, he keeps Roy where he is in the lineup. Hopefully, he gives him more ice time than the 11:28 he got from here on out, but those are all realistic expectations.
Again, it probably isn’t realistic for Roy to spark the offense beyond the top line all on his own. However, who else are you going to play? All due respect to Josh Anderson, but he’s generally killed the offensive chemistry on whatever line he’s played this season, with him having found the most success with Jake Evans (who isn’t a top-six centre). And, while Jesse Ylonen has shown flashes here and there, removing him from the fourth line would only serve to kill its offensive capability altogether.
The Case to Keep Roy Up with Canadiens
You must remember you’re also trying to put Newhook, who’s just 23, in the best position to succeed himself. A player with Roy’s upside is maybe the best choice, until it’s been proven otherwise. With the understanding the loss to the Blues doesn’t prove anything other than the Canadiens have an unfortunate tendency to get blown out in 2024, Roy should get as many eyeballs on him as possible down the stretch, both of the managerial and fan variety.
The reported emergency nature of Roy’s call-up does put a hypothetical wrench in those plans, especially with Brendan Gallagher poised to come back from his suspension later this week. However, if it comes down to Gignac or Roy? It should be no contest, seeing as Gignac has helped the Rocket to a greater extent and Roy simply has more to gain staying where he is right now. The Canadiens too.
The four weeks it might take for Harvey-Pinard to return brings the Canadiens to the March 8 trade deadline. The hope had been for general manager Kent Hughes to ship out at least some veterans and get some futures in exchange. Roy is one big piece of the future who’s here already. If Hughes does manage to make some roster room, he shouldn’t have to look far for someone to fill it. The fact Roy was called up under these circumstances shows he’s already (justifiably) top of mind for the Habs. Just keep him at the top of the (NHL) lineup.