The Washington Capitals have signed defenseman Matt Roy to a six-year contract worth $5.75 million annually, according to Elliotte Friedman.
Roy as a Defenseman
Roy was selected in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Los Angeles Kings. He has played 369 career regular season games, all for the Kings, totaling 24 goals and 106 points. He has also appeared in 18 career playoff games, scoring one goal and six points. He has frequented the Kings’ top-four for the majority of his career, being deployed late in games as a shutdown defenseman and as a penalty killer. He has a plus/minus rating of plus-67 in his career thus far.
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Roy is not the type of player to lead the charge offensively. He is an above-average skater with a decent shot, but he rarely finds the back of the net. His offensive production primarily comes from advanced passes, occasionally making a breakout pass that leads to a breakaway or saucing pucks through the offensive zone. He has virtually never played on the powerplay in Los Angeles since his skills are best equipped as a defensive defenseman.
The defensive zone is where Roy shines. The 29-year-old is not afraid to get physical. He uses his 6-foot-2, 210-pound frame to win puck battles around the net and clear way for his goaltender to make the save. He had 197 shots blocked last season, the most of any Kings’ defenseman and the seventh most in the NHL. He is a player who gives each shift his best effort, and his style of hockey is likely to age well throughout his contract.
Fit with the Capitals
The Capitals traded Nick Jensen to the Ottawa Senators and replaced him with Roy. They make a lateral move but land one of the NHL’s more underrated defensemen on a long-term contract. Roy will play on the second pairing behind John Carlson as well as the penalty kill.
It would make sense for Roy to slot in alongside recently acquired Jakob Chychrun, although he could also see time next to Rasmus Sandin or Martin Fehervary. Roy will be playing north of 20 minutes per game in Washington while providing crucial defense toward the end of close games. He is the latest of Washington’s many changes amid their on-the-fly retool.
