The Montreal Canadiens are making moves, just not the trades you thought they would be making this offseason. Montreal made a deal with Utah, sending forward Joshua Roy to the Mammoth in exchange for defenceman Maksymilian Szuber. Roy, a 5th-round pick in the 2021 draft, has spent the majority of the last three seasons with the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, Laval Rocket. He has appeared in 38 games with the Canadiens, but after failing to secure a regular roster spot with Montreal, the franchise has given Roy a fresh start by moving him to Utah. In return, the Canadiens receive Szuber, a 6th-round pick from the 2022 draft. Szuber has played one NHL game, when the franchise was still in Arizona, but has spent the majority of his time with the Tucson Roadrunners, playing in 200 games over the last three seasons.
Roy could not build off incredible junior career
Relatively unknown during his draft year, Roy began to turn some heads the year after he was drafted, when he recorded 51 goals and 119 points in 66 games, leading the QMJHL in points that season. He was on the 2022 Canada team that won gold at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, scoring three goals and adding five assists in seven games. He followed that up the next season, scoring 46 goals and finishing with 99 points in 55 games, and was once again a key member for Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He finished fourth in tournament scoring, chipping in with five goals and added 6 assists as Canada once again won gold.
Following that season, Roy made the jump to the AHL with the Rocket, and over his three seasons in Laval, he has been a consistent performer. In 145 games with the Rocket, Roy has 56 goals and 56 assists, but has struggled to make that next jump to the NHL. In his 38 games with the Canadiens, Roy has six goals and five assists, mainly being used on a call-up basis when the team is suffering from a long list of injuries. Roy now gets a fresh start with Utah, as he looks to become a full-time NHL player.
What are the Canadiens getting with Szuber?
Szuber's career started in Germany. The Polish-born, German international defenceman played for EHC Munich in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), and after helping them win the championship in the 2022-23 season, Szuber made the switch to North America. In his first season with the Roadrunners, Szuber played in 70 games, recording seven goals and 21 assists, earning an opportunity to make his NHL debut at the end of the season in a game against the Seattle Kraken on April 9th, 2024. He was held scoreless in the game, but saw just under 17 minutes of ice time in his debut.
Since making his NHL debut, Szuber has been stuck in the AHL, playing an additional 130 games with the Roadrunners, recording 18 goals and 41 assists in that span. For the Canadiens, the move looks more like adding defence depth, especially after they traded defenceman William Trudeau to the New York Rangers for Brett Berard. Canadiens fans most likely will not see Szuber in the NHL next season, unless injuries decimate their defence. Another strictly AHL transaction, as Canadiens fans wait for the big move that helps them compete for the Stanley Cup next season.
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