Among a slurry of off-season signings, the Capitals signed former LA King defenseman Matt Roy to 6-year, $34.5 million contract. Clearly, the Capitals see him as a stable part of the lineup for many years to come, assuming the fit is right.
Roy made his NHL debut in the 2018-19 season with the Kings. He has only ever played for the Kings prior to signing with the Capitals. Last season, he averaged above 20 minutes TOI per game and was +21 across 81 games. His ability to take on big minutes in the game was likely a great selling point to the Capitals. Last season, the Capitals struggled to find veteran players to absorb ice time after injuries on the backend, and eventually had young defenseman Alex Alexeyev to take on upwards of 21 minutes of ice time towards the end of the season.
Beyond adding a more experienced presence on defense, Roy is not afraid to jump into offensive plays. Last season, he gathered 20 total points and is clearly excited about the opportunity to help Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin beat Wayne Gretzky’s goal record. In a recent interview on the Dropping the Gloves podcast, Roy said about playing with Ovechkin, “Win, lose or draw. I don’t care. Get him the puck.”
During the same interview on Dropping the Gloves, Roy explained his motivation to sign with the Capitals: “I ultimately decided it was just time for my wife and I to get out of California and try something new… I think when I heard Washington was interested, it just kind of, it just felt like a great fit for me and my wife. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the organization and the players in the area. So it was, to me, it just kind of a no brainer when I heard they were interested.”
The Capitals were not Roy’s only option, either. He was a hot commodity for multiple teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs. Roy’s decision to forego playing with 70-goal scorer Austin Matthews in favor of the Capitals really showcases his enthusiasm for the Caps. Hopefully, this will translate on the ice, too.
Roy will also have at least some familiar faces on the Capitals. Previously, Roy played with newly-signed Capital Pierre-Luc Dubois when they were both on the Kings. Roy spoke highly of Dubois, mentioning how Dubois is “a great teammate, he’s a great locker room guy, he gets along with everybody… I really think he’s going to have a bounce back year, and I think he’s really going to be good with the team.”
