The 2024 year was supposed to be different for the Montreal Canadiens. They believed their rebuild was starting to end, and they wondered whether 2024 would end with them looking ahead to a run at the playoffs in 2025. The year ended with a string of wins that elevated them to sixth place in the Atlantic Division, but they are still seven points behind in a playoff race. This series will examine how each player performed over the 2024 calendar year. Next up is Joshua Roy.
Roy has been a weapon for the Laval Rocket over the last two seasons, but he hasn't been able to carry it over in limited action with the Canadiens. The front office wants to get Roy to Montreal, but he gets his promotion and fails to deliver on the team's biggest need, offense. He played four games in Montreal this season, and recorded zero points. In total, he played 27 games with Montreal in 2024 and has just four goals and five assists.
Contrast his NHL production with his stats over the last two seasons in Laval and you see the headache that Roy presents the front office. He has 24 points in 27 games this season, and is averaging 0.82 points per game in his AHL career. The Canadiens need to see Roy perform better at the NHL level, and he has to worry that players could get an opportunity to prove their worth over him.
Owen Beck could be next in line to get an opportunity, which would be disastrous for Roy. There aren't many open spots in the Canadiens lineup for the foreseeable future, as Ivan Demidov and Oliver Kapanen will soon fill the holes left by players like Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak. If Beck continues to perform well in Laval and gets the call-up, he could move ahead of Roy on the organizational depth chart.
Roy wouldn't be the first player to look like a star in the AHL and fail to put it together in the NHL. It's too early to give up on him, but Montreal must start seeing something more.
Joshua Roy scores his first NHL goal! #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/UNotgl3aaC
— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 18, 2024
It wasn't all bad things for Roy at the NHL level in 2024. He will always remember January 17 as the day he scored his first career goal. Roy getting another opportunity in 2025 like he did at the start of 2024 and running with it could be an intriguing development for the franchise.