Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Roy missed the team’s Monday practice with a lower-body injury and has been designated as day-to-day shares Bailey Johnson of the Washington Post. Roy left the team’s Saturday game just a few minutes into the second period, though he didn’t seem limited in any way on his final shift. No further information about the injury has been revealed.
Roy recorded no scoring and a -2 in Washington’s season opener. The performance continued his scoreless stat-line from three preseason games, where Roy’s only recorded metrics were one blocked shot and four hits. Roy has struggled to bring his stout, defensive presence in his action with Washington, despite thriving in the role with Los Angeles for the last six seasons.
Roy was a true success story for the Kings, getting drafted in the seventh round of the 2015 NHL Draft and clawing his way up to the NHL lineup through two impactful seasons in the AHL. He made his NHL debut in the 2018-19 season and quickly continued his climb, stepping into the league on LA’s third-pairing but earning routine top-pair ice time as quickly as the 2020-21 season. By 2021-22, Roy was the de facto partner for Kings star Drew Doughty, averaging close to 21 minutes every game. His role was keenly focused on the defensive side of the puck, but Roy still managed a stout 21, 26, and 25 points through three seasons on the Kings’ top line.
Strong performances in Los Angeles earned Roy a hefty payday on July 1st when Washington signed him to a seven-year, $34.5MM contract. The deal carries Roy through his age-36 season and makes him a notable fixture of a Capitals blue-line that’s been completely refurbished. Roy was paired with Martin Fehervary on the second-pair for Washington’s season opener. Should he miss time, Roy will likely be replaced by a mix of Trevor van Riemsdyk and Dylan McIlrath. Van Riemsdyk saw the immediate boost from Roy’s injury, recording 19 minutes of ice time in the season opener – his heaviest utilization since December of 2023.