Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
According to Chris Johnston and James Mirtle, the Maple Leafs may have a much bigger trade piece in Nicolas Roy than at first glance and may bring back a haul.
He’s not going to be around long, as he only has a year left after this although the team could certainly use him as part of the solution for their presumed retooling and if there are some younger players coming up he would be a great mentor.
Nic Roy’s trade value could be Toronto’s ace in the hole
However according to two analysts, Roy can do so much more for the team to accelerate the retool itself and he’s become quite valuable all things considered.
Both Chris Johnston and James Mirtle commented on who the Maple Leafs could trade, and Roy’s name came up with a very good reason behind it — what he might be able to bring back:
Strong market value due to intangibles and Stanley Cup pedigree. Comparable to the Bruins’ Charlie Coyle trade, potentially returning a roster player + 2nd round pick + prospect.
For context, the Coyle trade had Boston sending him to Colorado for a package involving Casey Mittelstadt, a 2025 2nd-round pick, and prospect William Zellers.
If Toronto were able to get that for essentially 60 games of Roy, that would be a great haul although fans are going to no doubt be a bit furious that the Mitch Marner deal ended up so flat.
Losing Roy hurts, but the retool is real — get what you can
Though if you take a look at what the team got in Roy and what they may get for him, it’s possible that they get at least some type of production out of their prospect/roster player and who knows how that potential 2nd-rounder could be used.
Roy, 28, has 18 points in 51 games this season to go along with a plus-one, only 6 PIM and a 53.6% face-off win percentage; Roy has one more year left on his deal after this season and he makes $3-million.
While it would be a little rough to see Roy go since he has been a very good hockey player all things considered and the chemistry he has built up with Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson can’t be ignored.
But neither can his trade value, which could end up being a defining factor in which direction the franchise is deciding to go.
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Nicolas Roy’s trade value is climbing, and one recent comparable sets the price
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