Player Evaluation: Matt Roy

[Kurisu]

Curious what the general opinion is of Matt Roy around here. I hardly paid much attention to him the last couple years, and just this season started watching him closer because of some serious blunders I kept seeing him make. After reading this article:

https://thehockeywriters.com/kings-roy-bounceback-season-2021-22/

I was shocked to see the numbers he's locked into at Cap Geek:

Roy, Matt RD NHL $3,150,000 $3,150,000 $3,150,000

That article talks about the amazing season he had in 2019-20, but I just can't remember people being excited about him then.

What am I missing? Is he a $3mil a year defenseman?

 

[Sevenhole]

I’ll bite. No Lemieux reference. I have commented numerous times that there was spirited discussion last year with what to do with Roy. He lead most performance categories for the kings defensemen last year. some here were all in on him for the numbers. He got his contract and has frankly been crap, even last year after signing his numbers declined. This conversation could go in several directions. Satisfied with the money waiting for the net opportunities? Constant pairing changes messing him up? Had a year beyond his actual capabilities? How many sports and players have we seen this? Does he actually have a place going forward in this defensive scheme going forward

 

[MiketheKing]

To be honest, we are such a crap team last year, I had zero point of reference. This year we have flashes of greatness, so my bar is been to normal. Roy struggles with his reads,positioning and speed of the game. It seems like he has regressed and needs more ice and experience to get better, but that will cost us. Mr.Qanon needs to work on his hockey IQ

 

[HeadInjury]

I think he had a rough November. We would have noticed him less if they hadn't put him on the power play where he had no place being.

Overall, during his career he's over performed. He's a 7th round pick after all.

 

[Bill Hicks]

He is not very good and his progression has peaked. He panics on routine stuff nightly.
Better save the money from this contract.

 

[Helvetica]

In all likelihood, he's abridge player until our younger guys get a few more years experience, or unless he can regain his composure and consistency. Given the way things seem to be shaking out for the team, it doesnt look like a bad signing to me. He isn't hindering our cap situation by any measurable means, and he'll be gone, if needed, when it matters. The most noticeable errors in his game from memory seem to be poor passes out of the zone, but i dont typically feel like he's out of position or getting beat 1on1. I havent really looked at any stats to back up those claims, just what i remember seeing.

 

[hokiecat]

He's OK. He's asked to play a more defensive role which pushes his numbers down some and he's not offensively talented so that pushes them down even more. But he's a decent defensive player. I think he'll eventually return to what he was a couple years ago as a rookie. Martinez had a rough 12+ months after he had his face broken. Roy's playing 20+ minutes a game and doing a solid job. He makes mistakes but all Kings D are making mistakes. Putting him on the PP after Drew got injured was foolish; he was in over his head in that role.

 

[Statue4Deano]

He's a 7th round pick after all.

Once you sign your first big contract this can't be an excuse anymore. Roy has been pitiful this season. No offense. Average to below average defense. I'm very concerned his contract will be immovable in the very near future.

 

[showmethemony]

Having Drew out has put a lot of responsibility on Roy. I think he'll play better when Drew's in the lineup. He kind of settles everything down.

 

[Helvetica]

I gotta be honest, i dont think he's been nearly as bad as people are suggesting. Like, yeah, he's made some mistakes, but overall he's been ok.

 

[santiclaws]

I gotta be honest, i dont think he's been nearly as bad as people are suggesting. Like, yeah, he's made some mistakes, but overall he's been ok.

He's been dreadful, for the most part. Ugly, unforced turnovers in his own zone over and over again. But not today. He was pretty much fine today.

 

[Helvetica]

He's been dreadful, for the most part. Ugly, unforced turnovers in his own zone over and over again. But not today. He was pretty much fine today.

like i said, ive noticed his turnovers trying to move the puck up/out of the zone. That's probably the single most glaring issue. But on the defensive side of the puck, he's looked ok. Not good, but ok.

 

[DryKing]

like i said, ive noticed his turnovers trying to move the puck up/out of the zone. That's probably the single most glaring issue. But on the defensive side of the puck, he's looked ok. Not good, but ok.

Agreed, he's had some pretty bad turnovers in the defensive zone (and they have occurred too frequently) but overall this season he's looked ok especially given the additional weight he carried while Doughty was out. Hopefully he continues to develop and hasn't yet hit his peak.

 

[santiclaws]

like i said, ive noticed his turnovers trying to move the puck up/out of the zone. That's probably the single most glaring issue. But on the defensive side of the puck, he's looked ok. Not good, but ok.

Yeah, you combine "not good, but OK" on defensive coverages and zero offensive game with "ugly turnovers" and the sum of those parts is very much "not OK." I don't care whether he gives the other team 2-3 glorious scoring opportunities per game because he is out of position, because forwards are blowing by him or because he is putting pucks on the other team's tape. The bottom line is he is creating more dangerous offensive chances for the other team than for his own. He's 26, so I don't see the odds of him improving much from this point forward.

 

[dannybuoy1]

I never thought the day would come where I want Maata over Roy, but that day is here friends. That day is here.

 

[Helvetica]

Yeah, you combine "not good, but OK" on defensive coverages and zero offensive game with "ugly turnovers" and the sum of those parts is very much "not OK." I don't care whether he gives the other team 2-3 glorious scoring opportunities per game because he is out of position, because forwards are blowing by him or because he is putting pucks on the other team's tape. The bottom line is he is creating more dangerous offensive chances for the other team than for his own. He's 26, so I don't see the odds of him improving much from this point forward.

I dont think he's going to become anything more than what we've already seen, but i do sort of expect him to become a little more consistent, and minimize the mistakes. I guess my point about the turnovers vs the reads was that he seems to make decent reads, and that his issues right now are more of the consistency/mistake variety. Obviously, like you said, doesnt really matter how the other team takes advantage of his play, only that they are getting those advantages. But i feel like cleaning up mistakes, is potentially more likely to happen than improving his ability to make the right reads in coverage.

Either way, i think he's been of the "ok" variety this season, and his more obvious turnovers have sort of overshadowed his generally decent play. But it doesn't matter that much given the way this season is shaping up. Two more seasons at his cap hit aren't going to make or break anything. The Kings will either improve enough to push him to the bottom pair, or we'll completely forget about him and have focused on why Blake is still GM.

 

[Kurisu]

The Kings will either improve enough to push him to the bottom pair, or we'll completely forget about him and have focused on why Blake is still GM.

This might inadvertently be the most damning criticism of him in this conversation so far.

 

[Helvetica]

This might inadvertently be the most damning criticism of him in this conversation so far.

haha, i can see that. I guess i mean, in an ideal world (on a contender) he plays a bottom pair role. He'd be a good bottom pairing guy. We said the same thing about Martinez once.

 

[Statue4Deano]

haha, i can see that. I guess i mean, in an ideal world (on a contender) he plays a bottom pair role. He'd be a good bottom pairing guy. We said the same thing about Martinez once.

Martinez's issues were his inconsistent defensive reads and his lack of physicality. He had no problem moving the puck out of his end, he had great wheels in his prime and he had good offensive instincts. That's precisely the type of player you want on the 3rd pairing. Roy plays the game like a dead-puck era defenseman. From about 1995-2005 there were 50 guys in the league every season who played exactly like he does right now. The problem is the game changed and Roy doesn't do enough in any of the 3 zones to be a difference maker in today's game. He's very fortunate he got a payday from Blake because I don't see him get another one in the NHL unless something about his game drastically changes.

 

[Helvetica]

He’s a bottom pair guy on a non playoff team. He plays decent d, makes a little more than he should, and has no real bearing on our ability to bring in free agents via trade, or to sign our younger prospects to new deals. He hasn’t been atrocious. Not sure why there’s so much handwringing over this guy.