10 Reasons to be excited about the Habs in 2024-25 - #7: Joshua Roy's top six ascension

The Montreal Canadiens have been collecting future assets through the draft and trusting in the development staff.

This has already shown positive signs, as Cole Caufield's all-around game has grown in leaps and bounds. Juraj Slafkovsky is more of the same. Essentially, the staff has formed into a well-oiled machine, giving plenty of hope for the organization's future. This is a far cry from the old regime, which used high draft picks on prospects that never reached their potential.

In 2021, general manager Marc Bergevin's final draft at the helm, Joshua Roy was added to the fold in the fifth round. With the 150th overall pick, the St-Georges-De-Beauce, Quebec native heard his name called by the Canadiens. His game had some positives - shot, passing and offensive awareness.

That alone made him worthy of a late pick, but the weaknesses in his game were problematic. Roy's skating was a knock on his game and his lack of effort defensively was concerning. But the project was one that the Habs were willing to tackle.

A big step ahead?

Roy played 23 games for the Habs in 2023-24 and he looked quite comfortable before suffering a season-ending injury. There was plenty of tape to watch, which makes the thought of Roy challenging for a top-six spot not seem too crazy. But the growth of his defensive game and awareness in the neutral zone rendered him a threat to the opposition.

He has come a long way from the player who appeared disinterested in anything that didn't involve playing in the attacking zone. Now, he looks like a dog on a bone, forcing turnovers and creating havoc for opposing forwards. When his processor takes over in the offensive zone, everything is so fluid, that he makes a quick decision and then finds himself in a high-danger area.

In a situation where he can play with a high-impact centre and a winger to complement his skills, he could explode. His tools are ideal to pair with a shooter since he creates so much with his off-puck instincts. With a strong playmaker, he could use his shot to burn goaltenders and freeze defenders, who try to anticipate his next move.

With more reps and increased opportunity, Roy will have more confidence to outsmart the opposition. Which I suspect will happen quickly, considering how far his complete game has come along in such a short time. His complete game could conceivably grow into top-six potential, and if not top nine which is music to management's ears.