biturbo19
Registered User
- Jul 13, 2010
- 26,147
- 11,240
Yeah, I'm a big J.Roy fan. I know he isn't a great skater but his passing, hockey IQ, defensive play is on Provorov level IMO. He has that cerebral style in him but he can just pinpoint passes and might have the best breakout pass in the draft. His defence is pretty underrated, he's not one-dimensional. He pushes forwards outside and can pokecheck it off their sticks even when they are protecting it. The weaknesses are his skating but do you take the risk is the question here.
I agree he's a bit passive defensively but he knows his skating is weak and can't afford to attack because he can't retrieve the puck if the forward dumps it in. If he can improve it, he has #1 D-man potential. I have a feeling we'll agree to disagree but IMO hockey smarts aren't always things you can teach especially in such a fast pace game. Players who can slow the game down like J.Roy aren't too common and those players are usually the best in the league.
It's not really his neutral zone defensive play, or the play at the lines that i have as much of an issue with...so much as his own zone defensive play. I think that's where the issues really manifest most with him.
Something that i think could be exacerbated by the conference/division we play in...teams that thrive on establishing that heavy down low cycle game and imposing zone time on the opposition. That's the sort of stuff i find Roy struggles most with.
Something that can probably be improved...to some extent. But it worries me a bit.