For fans of teams who are not in the playoffs anymore, the 2015 NHL Draft could not be approaching any slower. It is still over a month and a half away, but right now that is the only thing to look forward to in June before Free Agency starts. At SenShot we will be profiling some potential first round picks for the Senators, and the first on this list is defenseman Jeremy Roy.
JEREMY ROY: SHERBROOKE PHOENIX (QMJHL)
Birthplace: Longueuil, QC
Birthdate: May 14, 1997
Position: Defense
Shoots: R
Height/Weight: 183 lbs, 6’0″
2014-15 Statline: 46GP, 5G, 38A, 43P
Souting Rankings: #10 by Hockeyprospect.com, #29 by ISS Hockey, #14 by Future Considerations, #22 by McKeen’s Hockey, and #21 by NHL Central Scouting.
Amongst the aforementioned five scouting reports, Roy has an average ranking of 19.2, placing him right in Ottawa’s range, which will most likely be at #18. The first site that I looked at, which was draftsite.com, had Roy right at #18 where the Senators should be picking. Here’s what some of the rest of the mock draft looked like around the middle:
There are some other interesting names on that list, and we’ll be looking over a lot of them over the next month and a half before the draft.
Let’s take a look at the basics for Roy. Here are his stats in his junior career.
As you can see, he profiles as a solid offensive defenseman. He didn’t score much this year, but 38 assists in 46 games is very impressive for a defenseman that isn’t even 18 yet. Even as a first year at 16 years old, he put up 44 points in 64 games. That would have been a great year if he was a forward, which is astounding.
43 points may not seem like too much, but when you factor in his missed playing time and look at his points per game, he is amongst the leagues best. Despite missing significant playing time, he finished 11th amongst defensemen in scoring, and was tied for second in points per game.
He was also fifth on his own team in points per game, and first amongst defensemen. Although the QMJHL profiles as a higher scoring league than the WHL and OHL, it is still impressive that he has put up these numbers. Here’s what some scouts have to say about his game:
"“Jeremy Roy is a gifted two-way defenceman that establishes his presence on the ice through playing authoritative hockey, with and without the puck. His absolute and total awareness of other players’ positions on the ice is a testament to his incredible knowledge of the game.Roy possesses the intangibles of maturity and character that can’t be taught, as well as the individual skill that turns heads every time he is on the ice. All-in-all, a highly intelligent defenceman that plays high-percentage hockey and is a catalyst for positive plays in all three zones.”- Curtis Joe, EP 2014 (Elite Prospects.com)"
"“Elite skating defender who is compact-sized but whose offensive prowess and skating burst is giant-sized. An aggressive attacker who also uses his acceleration, powerful leg drive, and stick to get back in position after the puck goes back in transition. He plays fairly physical and handles attackers and the front and has decent gap control and stays with attackers.His true strength is his as a dynamic attacker and puck carrier who understands the tempo and can slow down the play but also feels in an instant that window to aggressively explode the zone with either an aggressive pass or even by going straight into the slot and letting the puck fly. Very solid puck handler who is strong on his carries but also precision-like in his outlets and set-ups.”- Bill Placzek (Draftsite.com)"
WHERE DOES HE FIT WITH OTTAWA?
Roy is a right-handed shot, and he is offensively minded. Ottawa seems like they could always use one more offensively gifted defenseman, and Roy is just that. For the longest time, Patrick Wiercioch wasn’t even playing, so the only defenseman who could create offense was Erik Karlsson. Now it seems like the team actually trusts Wiercioch, and he is playing better and putting up more points.
However, those were the only two players that can help with the offense. Cody Ceci of course has a pedigree of being offensive in the OHL, but he only has 30 career points in 130 games. He still has time to develop, but I feel like Ottawa needs another solid passer from the back-end. Roy fits perfectly, because he is also a right-handed shot.
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The Senators have Karlsson, Ceci, and Gryba on the right side for defense, and nobody else (besides perhaps Chris Wideman). I still do not think Ceci should be in the top six just yet, and although he isn’t NHL ready yet, Roy could eventually step into that spot to play with Wiercioch.
If Roy could develop into a player that produces around 40 points a season, all of a sudden a top-4 group of Marc Methot, Karlsson, Ceci, and Roy looks pretty formidable, with Ceci and another depth player in behind them. Ottawa needs one more top four defenseman, and then their group doesn’t look too bad.
That’s why Roy would be a fantastic pick for Ottawa, because it solves lots of problems (if he develops of course).
I think Roy will be on Ottawa’s radar come draft day, although there are plenty of other options available, and perhaps they even elect to go with a forward. Keep tuning in to SenShot for more draft profiles!