thanks to the price<\/a> the Vegas Golden Knights paid the Washington Capitals for Nic Dowd. A second- and a third-round pick for a defensively solid, fourth-line center? Hoo boy.<\/p>\nIt makes sense, then, that Roy cost Colorado even more; he\u2019s got one year left at a $3 million AAV, and he profiles similarly to Dowd while being six years younger and less of a drag offensively. Colorado gets itself a proven commodity on its bottom six, a player who\u2019s capable of being thrown to the wolves, minute-wise, and making good decisions in the defensive zone. He\u2019s not a sexy addition, but he fills a role on a team that, incredible record aside, clearly saw the need to add some mid-grade sandpaper to the mix. Did that come at an incredibly high price? Of course.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s what makes this deal such a win for the Maple Leafs. Roy has value to a team like the Avs, who figure to be in the playoff mix until the very end. Toronto\u2019s circumstances are, let\u2019s say, slightly different. A first-round pick, even if it winds up at the back of the pack, for a role player on a going-nowhere roster seems almost too good to be true \u2014 and while it\u2019s not going to fix whatever\u2019s gone wrong in Toronto, it\u2019s a start.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs grade: A+
Avalanche grade: C<\/p>\n
Dom Luszczyszyn: The price of bottom-six centers on deadline day will never not be shocking. It seemed wild when the rumored ask for Roy, a perfectly cromulent 3C, was a first-round pick and a prospect, so credit to Brad Treliving for actually getting it.<\/p>\n
For Colorado, it\u2019s a little bittersweet seeing what Charlie Coyle turned into with the Blue Jackets. But Roy fits their current needs in the bottom six well \u2014 if he can get back to being the player he was in Vegas.<\/p>\n
With the Golden Knights, Roy was a defensively-minded right shot with a decent history of limiting chances. He was especially excellent at retrieving pucks and exiting his own zone, according to data tracked by Corey Sznajder. In Toronto, he never really met those expectations. Going into the year, his projected Net Rating was minus-0.7, but that\u2019s dropped to minus-4.1 after 59 games with the Leafs. For this to be a win for the Avalanche, Roy\u2019s decline needs to have more to do with fit, system and general Leafs stink than Roy\u2019s own personal failings.<\/p>\n
With how strong Colorado has been up-and-down the lineup, it\u2019s easy to see Roy thriving there and it helps that he has one year left at a low price. While it still feels like spending a first on a depth center is too expensive in general \u2014 a mistake the Leafs made themselves last season with Scott Laughton \u2014 Roy seems like a good bet. And for the Leafs, it\u2019s a nice way to recoup some of the losses from last year\u2019s debacle \u2014 even if Colorado\u2019s first is expected to be much lower than the one they\u2019ll be giving up for Laughton.<\/p>\n
Maple Leafs grade: A-
Avalanche grade: C+
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