Trip to Vegas also significant for new Maple Leaf Nicolas Roy

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There was another hockey reunion on Thursday night in Las Vegas that received significantly less attention than Mitch Marner and the Maple Leafs.

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Nicolas Roy was back in T-Mobile Arena, where he spent five-and-a-half seasons before being acquired by the Leafs as part of the Marner sign-and-trade in the summer.

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Roy isn’t Mikko Rantanen, the 100-point winger who was Toronto-bound if Marner had agreed to an earlier trade with Carolina, but past the midway point of the schedule and through some rough spots, the Leafs are liking Roy’s impact between Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson, even when not boosting special teams.

Roy was looking forward to hitting and chirping some old friends.

“It feels weird to be back in this building, in this (visiting) locker room,” Roy told media at the morning skate at T-Mobile Arena. “But I’m excited, just looking around the building, seeing familiar faces.”

Roy won a Cup with Vegas

Roy was part of Vegas’s 2023 Stanley Cup team, posting 11 points in 22 playoff games, and is usually in the 30-to-40 point range as a bottom-six contributor. But it took him a while to get comfortable in Toronto.

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“Coming to a new team, there is always a little adjustment,” Roy said. “ “But after 10 or 15 games, I found my role, found my game.”

Second-line centre John Tavares has come to appreciate the 6-foot-4 Roy, who has also been a factor in Toronto’s league-leading faceoff record.

“He’s fit into the room really well,” Tavares observed. “Especially with a big body and the way he can handle the puck.”

Defenceman Morgan Rielly said it took a bit of time to process Marner’s departure after eight seasons and for Roy to settle in.

“Whenever you lose a guy who plays in all situations like (Marner), there’s usually an adjustment period. But we have guys who’ve taken on bigger roles (Max Domi in Marner’s spot, Robertson, Cowan) and are doing a good job.”

Lhornby@postmedia.com

X: @sunhornby

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