Matt Roy, a defenseman for the Washington Capitals, didn’t show up for practice on Monday because of a lower-body injury. He’s currently listed as day-to-day, according to Bailey Johnson from the Washington Post. During Saturday’s game, he exited just minutes into the second period despite appearing fine during his last shift.
Roy’s start with Washington hasn’t been great. He didn’t score in the season opener and ended with a -2 rating. His preseason wasn’t much better, only managing one blocked shot and four hits over three games. This is quite different from his time in Los Angeles where he was known for being a strong defender.
In LA, Roy was a hidden gem discovered in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He worked hard through two seasons in the AHL before making his NHL debut in 2018-19. By 2020-21, he’d moved up to top-pairing ice time and became Drew Doughty’s partner by 2021-22, playing nearly 21 minutes each game . While focusing on defense, he still managed to score points consistently across three seasons.
Roy’s Transition to Washington:
When July rolled around, Roy landed a big contract with Washington: seven years for $34.5 million! This deal means he’ll be part of their team until he’s 36 years old and is now an important piece of their revamped defense line-up.
Fans might wonder if this injury will affect Roy’s performance long-term or if it’s just a minor bump along his journey with Washington.
For now, Martin Fehervary has been paired with him on the second line but if Roy can’t play soon, Trevor van Riemsdyk or Dylan McIlrath may step in instead. Van Riemsdyk already saw more ice time due to Roy’s absence during their first game—19 minutes total—which was more than any other time since December 2023!
What do you think about Matt Roy’s future? Will he bounce back stronger?
