Golden Knights call up Nicolas Roy from Chicago Wolves

Yesterday, the Golden Knights earned a shutout win against the Pittsburgh Penguins thanks to a huge performance by goaltender Marc-André Fleury. After the first game of a three-game road trip, Vegas has called up a player from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves in order to bolster their ranks.

Nicolas Roy is the player who will join the Golden Knights on their away streak. Roy was acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes with whom he played in 7 games without getting a point. The 22-year old played most of his professional hockey with the Charlotte Checkers in the American Hockey League where he won the Calder Cup last season.

Roy is a right-handed centerman who is an imposing presence on the ice at 6'4", 208 lbs. The Quebec native was known as a genuine scoring threat when he played junior hockey for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens. 

Since then, he has had two decent seasons with the Checkers. Roy scored 17 goals and earned 36 points in 69 games played last season. The previous year, he had 11 goals and 38 points in 70 games.

So far this season, Roy is pointless after 3 games with the Chicago Wolves but he is a player who knows how to win and who does the little things very well. That is enough to impress Vegas coach Gerard Gallant who called him up to the NHL today.

Look for Roy to be a utility player for the Golden Knights. Gallant will undoubtedly want to rely on him for his physical presence and his two-way abilities. He should be given very specific roles on the ice.

Nevertheless, let's not forget that Roy is no stranger to scoring goals and that he will probably seek to earn his first point in the NHL sooner rather than later. He will want to prove that he can be an offensive contributor at the next level.

All of this will depend on whether or not he is included in Vegas' starting lineup in the next few games. Regardless, he will have an opportunity to practice with the Golden Knights, to acquire precious NHL experience and to impress coach Gallant with his work ethic. Let's hope that it goes well for him.