New Maple Leaf is already winning over Toronto

The depth center that was the return in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade with the Vegas Golden Knights, is saying all the right things.
Toronto Maple Leafs v Vegas Golden Knights
Toronto Maple Leafs v Vegas Golden Knights | Ethan Miller/GettyImages

Sometimes, all it takes to be instantly beloved by the fan base of your new team is to say the right thing at the right time. In his first chance to speak with the Toronto Maple Leafs media, center Nicolas Roy hit all the right notes.

As the one single player coming back to Toronto in the sign-and-trade that sent Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights, Roy must know it isn't an easy situation to be in. But, to get right to it, the 28-year-old center was able to instantly bring up trying to instill a winning culture and how he was watching the Leafs through the playoffs, and wants to fix that issue.

"I want to be part of a team that's winning and watching the playoffs last year, the Panthers were the biggest challenge to the Leafs and this team is ready to win right now," Roy said via Arun Srinivasan.

And he didn't even stop there, Roy pushed the classic New Leaf button, mentioning how he was a Leafs fan growing up and that his favorite player was Mats Sundin.

If there was one single sentence to make you beloved by roughly 90 percent of current Leafs fans, it's that. Roy, somehow, while growing up in Amos, Quebec, a town that is over six hours north of Montreal and about a five-hour drive to Sudbury, was a big-time Leafs fan. That is what it's all about.

Roy appeared in 71 games, notching 15 goals and 16 assists for a respectable 31 points for the Golden Knights last season. He averaged just over 15 minutes of ice time per game and contributed solidly on both sides of the puck. Though his plus-minus finished at –4, his 72 hits and 47 blocked shots underscored his willingness to play a gritty, defensive role.

The 28-year-old center also proved capable at the faceoff dot, finishing the season with a 47.7 percent win rate. After missing 11 games due to an upper-body injury midseason, he returned to maintain consistent production, stepping up when injuries depleted the Knights’ roster.

Beyond just being a good quote and knowing what his newest fans want to hear, Roy should be a valuable addition to this Maple Leafs team.