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Kings’ Defense Has Thrived Despite Matt Roy’s Departure

karo blikian
·4 min read

In the spring of 2023, one of the big topics around the Kings was whether or not LA would or should retain the services of Matt Roy. Given the state of the team after a grueling winter and with Roy’s impending free agency, many felt that trading the defender at the NHL’s trade deadline was the prudent course of action. That didn’t happen. GM Rob Blake rolled the dice on Roy and his team putting it all together for a playoff run. That really didn’t happen.

Roy would hit the UFA market in the summer as one of the most sought after players on July 1st. From all indications, the Kings were working to retain his services until the 11th hour. Ultimately, Roy elected to make a move to the Washington Capitals to the tune of……. To the Kings’ credit, they didn't panic and overpay Roy, although Roy himself revealed that he was ready to move on.

“Blakey did come at me with an offer. And, you know, it was really hard to leave LA because I've had such great experiences there and all my teammates have been great. But I ultimately decided it was just time for my wife and I to get out of California and try something new.”

While the loss of Roy certainly stung in the moment, what hurt more was that the Kings essentially lost him for nothing. Looking at the trade market from last spring, LA would almost certainly have received a first round pick for Roy.

Heading into the fall, the main concern became the state of the LA defense without one of the premier shut down defensemen in Roy. Joel Edmundson was signed as a de facto replacement, but that acquisition was met with warranted skepticism.

Then, in September, came the real haymaker. Drew Doughty broke his ankle in the pre-season and suddenly, the LA defense was without two of its best shutdown options. Suddenly, the Kings right side went from Doughty, Roy and Jordan Spence to Spence, Brandt Clarke and Kyle Burroughs.

Ouch.

But as former Kings captain Dustin Brown once said, “That’s why we play the (expletive) games.”

And play the Kings have.

The Kings currently sit at the top of the league in several key possession and defensive categories:

Expected Goals Percentage: 1st in the NHL (57.23%)

Expected Goals Against: 1st in the NHL (51.87)

Shot on Goal Against: 1st in the NHL (607)

High Danger Chances Against: 1st in the NHL (38)

Rebound Shots Against: 1st in the NHL (49)

Goals Against: 4th in the NHL (53)

Considering the Kings lost one of the premier defensive defensemen in Matt Roy and one of the best all-around defensemen in Drew Doughty, those numbers are nothing short of remarkable. With Mikey Anderson and Vladislav Gavrikov becoming the unexpected top pairing, the Kings really haven’t missed a beat defensively.

For Roy, it hasn’t been the smoothest transition to DC. His defensive metrics aren’t as sparkling as they were in LA, as many of his key defensive metrics are at or below the 50% mark. That being said, Matt Roy is the type of player that never hurts you. So while the investment hasn’t shown big returns yet, it’s reasonable to believe that it will pay dividends for the Capitals throughout the length of Roy’s contract.

These numbers and facts beg the question: Is it the personnel or is the system?

For the Kings, it has been a case of nothing lost, nothing gained. They certainly would have received a nice asset in return for Roy had they dealt him at the 2023 deadline. However, letting him walk away by not countering the Capitals’ best offer has thus far proven to be the right decision.

Both sides will have a chance to make a bold statement on Sunday as the Kings visit the Capitals, where it will be a multi-layered reunion of old friends.