Nicolas Roy is back in the Avalanche lineup, and that alone gives Colorado a different kind of bite.
After sitting out six games with a lower-body injury, the 6-foot-4 forward returned to a team that went 2-3-1 without him, including one shootout loss. Roy has been an important piece in the middle six and has also contributed on the penalty kill, so his absence was felt in more than one spot.
Head coach Jared Bednar pointed to the way Roy handles the puck when he’s right.
“What Nic does, when we’ve seen him at his best, he rarely throws the puck away,” Bednar said. He noted the similarities he shares with former Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin and said, “It’s something, quite frankly, that we could use in our lineup right now, so it’s nice to get him back.”
Roy’s game brings both skill and edge, and his return should force some shuffling through the lineup. That kind of adjustment can change how the group flows and how it looks structurally on the ice.
For Roy, being back with the team has already brought the right feeling.
“The energy skating with the guys yesterday (and) this morning feels good to be back and playing the game,” Roy said. “Obviously, you don’t want to be in the stands for a long time, recovering from injuries. So it was tough looking from on top, but very excited to be back.”
Roy said he and the team used the time to go over what needs to sharpen up.
“We had some meetings. Obviously, we need more consistency.
Really good game against Tampa. Last game (vs. the Nashville Predators) was tougher,” Roy said.
“So we look at the video. We can do better things for a full 60 minutes.
Play better defensively.”
Through six games this season, Roy has four points. Based on Tuesday’s practice lines, he is expected to skate on the second line with Brock Nelson and Gabriel Landeskog, which would move Nazem Kadri back to center on the third line and send Fedor Svechkov to the fourth line.
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