As we get closer to the end of the hockey season we will start to get a clearer picture of what players are staying and what players are going. Some names are much more appealing than others. Today’s name is one that I don’t consider a great option but one that could save Pittsburgh money for similar production they are getting now.
For the second day in a row I am going to write about a former Buffalo Sabres cast off from the Darcy Regier era.
Rumblings out of Edmonton from Jim Matheson say that Derek Roy might be moving on from the Edmonton Oilers.
— It’s unlikely the Oilers will re-sign unrestricted free agent centre Derek Roy now that they’ve got McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Anton Lander, Leon Draisaitl and Boyd Gordon in the middle, but New Jersey needs a centre.
I will be the first to say that I was not impressed with Derek Roy at the tail end of his tenure in Buffalo. I haven’t been enamored with his play since leaving Buffalo either. There is a reason he has played on five teams since the 2012-13 trade deadline.
That said I am willing to take on a player like Derek Roy on the cheap because his production and shortcomings are in the same ballpark as Brandon Sutter. You might as well get similar production for less money.
Important to remember last year was a “career year… for Brandon Sutter.
Neither player is great defensively but Roy is better at driving possession and scoring chances.
By going with a player like Sutter or Roy as your third line center you should not be expecting shutdown defense. So if the that line is going to mimic a low end second line you need a player who is able to generate better offense. Roy fits that mold better than Sutter.
Derek Roy did experience a little bit of a renascence in Edmonton on a line with Nail Yakupov last year.
While Roy does not put up the same offense that he once did in Buffalo (0.78 points per game) he does still put up 0.51 points per game since leaving Buffalo’s top six forward grouping.
Since the 2012-13 season he has a 1.56 points per 60 at even-strength. That is on par with a low end second line player.
The only way the Derek Roy conversation makes sense is if Brandon Sutter is indeed traded and they can sign Roy on a one year deal while saving ~2M.
If Pittsburgh does believe that Oskar Sundqvist can be the third line center of the future a short term deal to a guy like Derek Roy can help bridge the gap while maintaining salary cap integrity, something a Carl Soderberg signing just won't accomplish.
This is far from the most ideal scenario but you need fallback plans if things don’t work out exactly the way you wanted to.
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