Former NHL player and analyst Alan May didn’t hold back on Friday’s episode of “First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo,” sharing his disappointment that the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to sign defenseman Matt Roy during free agency.
Roy, a right-handed defenseman known for his reliability, joined the Washington Capitals on a six-year, $34.5 million deal on the first day of free agency on July 1.
“Toronto Maple Leafs–you know they’d really help themselves with one more right-handed defenseman, in my opinion,” May said. “And Matt Roy is a perfect defensive defenseman.
“He’s got all the underlying numbers; he passes all the eye tests. He’s very physical. He skates very well. He moves the puck. He’s a simple player to add so much to the team.
“He’s exactly what Toronto needs,” May concluded.
The Maple Leafs, currently leading the Atlantic Division with a 16-8-2 record following Friday’s 3-1 loss to Washington, boast one of the league’s best defensive records, allowing just 2.52 goals per game.
Despite their strong start, May believes Roy’s skill set could have elevated their defense even further, which isn’t unreasonable considering the depth issues they have had all season.
Known for his simple but effective style, the 29-year-old blueliner could have easily slid into the second or defensive pairing of Toronto without much issue.
Hour 3 of First Up with @mcauz56 & @CarloColaiacovo:
– @AlanMay_16 joins us to look ahead to #LeafsForever vs Capitals tonight, Ovechkin skating again & the reasons behind the Capitals hot start to the season
– @AaronBenRose on #WeTheNorth getting blown out by the Thunder & the…
— First Up (@FirstUp1050) December 6, 2024
Roy has a career-long plus/minus rating of +72 over 384 NHL games and is already a positive +5 player this season, his first in the capital.
The veteran has scored one goal and assisted four in 15 games this year while only getting six minutes in penalties.
Instead of pursuing Roy, Toronto decided to make a pre-free-agency trade for then-Dallas Stars defenseman Chris Tanev in order to get his negotiating rights, ultimately signing him to a six-year, $27 million contract.
Tanev has appeared in 25 games with the Maple Leafs this season scoring one goal and assisting five for six total points while posting a +7 plus/minus.
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