The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to be active leading up to the trade deadline, and Brad Treliving should remain very open-minded about the direction of his roster. Being a buyer and a seller means you take the right deal when it presents itself, and if a team offers a significant return for center Nicolas Roy, Treliving should be pulling the trigger on a deal.
Roy, 29, is signed through next season at $3 million AAV, and doesn’t own any trade protection on his contract. He of course, came over in the Mitch Marner offseason trade last season, and although it took him a while to find his legs as a Maple Leaf, Roy’s now carved himself out a role as a bottom-six center.
Through his first 54 games as a Leaf, Roy entered the Olympic break with five goals, and 15 assists for 20 points. He’s averaging 14:40 of ice-time per game, which includes being used primarily as a penalty killer on special teams. He’s won 54% of his faceoffs this year, sees the ice well defensively, has the hockey IQ to ensure he’s on the ‘right’ side of the puck, and does a great job limiting high-danger chances for the opposition.
Early on this season, Roy was being used as a net-front presence on the second power-play unit, and Craig Berube was hopeful it would lead to some more production offensively. Unfortunately, it’s resulted in just one power-play goal, and the team has since pivoted of late with their second unit. Roy has size at 6-foot-4, but with just 58 hits landed this season, it’s becoming obvious to Leafs Nation he’s not a overly physical shut-down centreman.
Despite the so-so first season in Toronto, the trade market down the middle of the ice is extremely thin this season, and Treliving needs to see what he can fetch in return for Roy. The Maple Leafs don’t necessarily have a ton of trade assets heading into the deadline, and if they are going to re-tool on the fly, Roy is the type of player you trade. He’s under team control for next season, he’s a Stanley Cup champion, and he can play a specific, impactful role for a contending team.
With the
Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings, and Montreal Canadiens looking for a centre ahead of the trade deadline, Treliving has an established market, and three teams that are very familiar with Roy’s game from his days in Vegas. The Habs on the other hand, would have to pay an in-division premium to land Roy, however, if they’re willing to overpay, why wouldn’t the Maple Leafs listen?
While Roy has been a serviceable pivot this season, and looked dominant during a two-week stretch playing alongside Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson, the Maple Leafs should try to cash in. A big reason why is the fact Scott Laughton needs more minutes, and Roy is in his way. If Treliving is interested in re-signing Laughton to a long-term extension, which does sound like the case, Roy should be moved. Laughton can slide up to the third-line and be more impactful on both sides of the puck, meanwhile Jacob Quillan deserves a longer audition for the remaining 25 games of the season. If Laughton is also available on the trade market, it would make sense to keep one of them for next season to play that shut-down centre role, and Treliving shouldn’t be sewering himself by losing both.
The Maple Leafs entered the break with a 27-21-9 record, sitting six points out of a playoff spot. It’s going to be very interesting to see what kind of moves Treliving pulls off, and involving who, but do expect to see multiple transactions from the Maple Leafs’ GM ahead of the Mar. 6 trade deadline.
Don’t be surprised to see Roy shipped out of town halfway through his first season as a Leaf, as it makes a lot of sense to take advantage of the trade market, and revamp this Maple Leafs’ roster on the fly.
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