Yahoo Sports Matt Roy Tries To Keep Things Lowkey, And That 'Less Is More' Mentality Has Played A Key Role In The Capitals' New-Found Stability On Defense
ARLINGTON, V.A. — For a shutdown NHL defenseman, Washington Capitals blueliner Matt Roy is actually a pretty low-key, laid-back guy. And that's how he likes it.
The 29-year-old's philosophy is pretty straightforward, nothing overcomplicated as he takes on heavy minutes and plays a key role in D.C. night in and night out.
"A lot of times, less is more," Roy said with a smile.
Roy signed a six-year deal this summer to join the Capitals, and the biggest objective for him was to bring much-needed stability to the blue line, along with the likes of Jakob Chychrun.
Silently, he's delivered; he doesn't make too much noise — though no one should count out his heavy point shot — but he racks up significant minutes as a shutdown defenseman who can play in almost any situation and move the puck effectively.
His play goes deeper than that, though. He's a smooth-skating blueliner who can take care of business in his own end, and then, from time to time, jumpstart the rush.
"He's playing at a real high level and doing the things he needs to do defensively and moving pucks, which are his bread and butter, and then also doing a nice job of whenever he can find good opportunities," Carbery said, adding, "We've been really, really happy with his progression this year."
The biggest thing Roy's provided, though, is consistency. He has the lowest expected goals against at 5-on-5 among Washington defensemen with at least 11 games played.
He also logs the third-most ice time on average among defensemen, and there are no surprises when it comes to his game.
It's a "professional" approach, and one that makes the job much, much easier for his fellow teammates.
"He shows up to work, you know what you're getting from him," John Carlson said. "He's going to work really hard, he's very talented, can do a whole number of different things on the ice... having a guy like that, you know, it's all business and he's a great complement to the other players that we have."
Roy has also played a key role as a mentor. He's mainly been paired with Rasmus Sandin to start his tenure in the District, and for Sandin, just having Roy at his side has helped him take his game to a whole other level.
"He's kind of like a dad out there, you know?" Sandin smiled. He feels like he's in the right position all the time. It makes me confident to make my plays out there. He talked to me a lot... he's obviously had a fantastic career as well."
While he may come off as a bit quiet, that's not the case for how he is behind the scenes, as Sandin and Nic Dowd point out.
"He might not be the loudest guy, but he's low-key funny," Sandin said. "He loves chirping us."
"Matty's not quiet," Dowd laughed.
Whatever the case, he's a beloved member of the team on and off the ice. But for Roy, it's all just part of the gig.
"I just try to do my job, go about my business and dig in," Roy shrugged.
