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Edit: Drafted 56th Overall by the Edmonton Oilers.
After spending most of 2011-12 bouncing around the lineup, and unable to find a consistent role, Marc-Olivier Roy was determined to change things last offseason. He came into camp this year for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada notably bigger and stronger than he was in 2011. The offseason workouts paid off, and Roy was given top line minutes, powerplay and penalty killing duties this year leading to a true breakout season. Roy had 67 points in 65 games for the Armada, helping them to win their division and finish with the number 3 seed heading into the QMJHL playoffs. In the playoffs he continued to step up and elevated his game even more scoring 19 points in 15 games, however it was not to be for the Armada as they lost in the QMJHL semi-final.
Left Wing/Center
Born Nov 5 1994 — Boisbriand, PQ
Height 6’0″ – Weight 168.5 lbs – Shoots Left
Roy’s offensive game is built on speed and skating ability. He has a compact stride that generates great top end speed, and outstanding acceleration. He has really quick feet and his first step is great. This can aid him in a lot of ways, whether its being the first man in on the forecheck, being dangerous on the rush, or having the anticipation and quickness to be the first man to a loose puck. Roy also possesses good agility and edgework, helping him to be elusive in the offensive zone. While he did improve this a lot over his rookie year in the QMJHL, he still could stand to add even more lower body strength, so that he can be more effective in the corners, and add some strength on his skates and balance in order to succeed in the pro game.
A pure sniper loves to utilize his hard and accurate wrist shot. He has a quick and deceptive release which allows Roy to fool goalies and surprise them with his shot. He is also willing to go to the front of the net and can use his quick hands to deflect shots or bang in rebounds. Roy is known more as a goal scorer than a playmaker, however he does have good passing skills and vision. He can thread passes through tight areas, and can put it on his teammates tape. However in order to develop fully as a playmaker he needs to be a little bit more poised and patient with the puck as he sometimes tries to force things before the play has fully developped. Roy plays a very simple north-south game and his offense is built out of making the smart play, not necessarily the overly fancy one. He is willing to take hits to make plays and to go to the dirty areas of the ice in order to score, however continued attention to bulking up in the offseasons will be needed for him to continue to play his game at the pro level.
Roy’s defensive game is generally pretty good. He is an effective penalty killer for the Armada using his quickness and anticipation to cut down passing lanes and create turnovers. 5-on-5 he is a a willing backchecker and shows good effort level in his own end of the ice. If there is one criticism though, it is that Roy can sometimes be guilty of getting out of position because he is over-pursuing the puck and looking to make a big play. If he can cut this down than he should be able to develop into a player who can take defensive assignments at the pro level.
Roy’s playing style reminds me of Kris Versteeg of the Florida Panthers. Now this is a style comparison, and not one based on potential. In terms of potential, Roy will need to add weight and continue to progress. His ceiling is likely a 2nd line winger capable of contributing on the powerplay, and maybe even giving his team a few minutes of penalty kill time as well.
Check back tomorrow for another NHL draft feature.
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