The Newest Ducklings: C Kevin Roy

First off, I just got back from a vacation that I had started on Sunday. So, I got a lot of work to do. To start, let me continue my “The Newest Ducklings” series. This is the fifth part of my series on the 2012 draftees by the Anaheim Ducks. The previous part was on D Andrew O’Brien. The pick before O’Brien was used on center Kevin Roy.

Kevin Roy is a 19-year-old from Lac-Beauport, Quebec. He was born on May 20, 1993 and shoots left-handed. He is listed at 5’9″-170 lbs. Roy was picked in the fourth round, 97th overall.

Kevin Roy is coming off of his first season in junior hockey, playing for the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Before his time with the Stars, Roy was playing high school hockey. Roy has made his mark in USHL history after just one year with Stars. He tallied a record-breaking performance with 54 goals and 50 assists for 104 points in 59 games played. He also registered 54 PIM and was +44. Roy became the first 50 goal in the history of the USHL under the league’s current format of being a top tier junior league. He also became the first player to reach 100 points in a single season. The Lincoln Stars also made a deep push in the playoffs and Roy helped lead the way. In 8 playoff games, Roy registered 7 goals and 3 assists for 10 points with 4 PIM. His record-breaking season led him to being named the USHL Player of the Year.

Roy is supremely skilled offensively. His hockey IQ and hockey sense are off the charts. He can control the pace of the game when the puck is on his stick. His shot is quick and accurate. Along with being the incredible scorer, he has very good vision and very good passing abilities. He has very good hands and he can dangle with the best. His skill has actually made him a youtube hit. However, he is not as fast as the other elite scorers that are the same size as him. He also needs to work on his body strength. He is not that strong which leads to him being a terrible player down low. Improving his body strength would also improve his shot strength. His potential is really up in the air. He is really a hit-or-miss prospect. He has been compared to Mike Ribeiro of the Washington Capitals and David Desharnais of the Montreal Canadiens. He has committed to playing for the Bears of Brown University.

Next up is goaltender Frederik Andersen.

Follow me on twitter @ddb_sean!