The Canadiens experienced a challenging week in hockey recently, recording one win, two losses, and an overtime defeat against teams from Utah, Columbus, New York, and Boston. This resulted in a total of three points earned from eight.
Currently, the team sits at the bottom of the league rankings, showing little evidence of improvement. Management’s efforts to energize the team have failed to yield results.
Roy was brought in during a period filled with discussions about cutting players to make room for injured teammates, rather than focusing on calls from the minor leagues. Nevertheless, the Canadiens opted to send Lucas Condotta down in order to bring Roy back.
Initially, Roy was dispatched to Laval to convey a message (whatever that may have been), and he was performing well in the AHL. However, since his recall, he has barely seen the ice.
On one hand, he appears disengaged and unsure, while on the other, Martin St-Louis isn’t giving him favorable playing conditions. Aside from Tuesday’s game, where Juraj Slafkovsky was benched and played just slightly less than Roy, he has consistently been the least utilized player under St-Louis.
Roy lacks strong line mates (being placed on the bottom-6) and isn’t participating in powerplay scenarios, leaving him mostly on the sidelines. This raises the question: what is he doing in Montreal? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for him to return to Laval, rebuild his confidence, gain some much-needed ice time, and assist the Rocket in turning their season around?
Both he and Logan Mailloux began the season in Laval, hoping to join the main squad, received a call-up, but haven’t performed well. In my view, sending Roy back down would be the right move. He could significantly influence the performance of a team that needs him, while also escaping the current negative atmosphere in Montreal.
This week, the Canadiens might receive reinforcements from Patrik Laine. Even if they can add him to their 23-man roster without removing anyone else, they will still need to sit a forward.
Why not take this chance to send Roy to Laval? Given that the Habs have frequently operated with only 22 players this season, I wouldn’t be surprised if this is part of their plans.
To be continued.
The Canadiens have officially transferred Rafaël Harvey-Pinard to Laval, and Michael Pezzetta hasn’t played a single game in November, having only appeared in three games this year.
