Capitals’ Matt Roy leaves game vs. Devils with lower-body injury

Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Roy left Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils due to a lower-body injury, and as per an announcement from the team, did not return to the game.

INJURY UPDATE: #Caps defenseman Matt Roy (lower body) will not return to tonight's game.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 13, 2024

The injury occurred early in the second period of the game, although it’s unclear as to what caused the injury. More details will likely be confirmed about the severity of the injury and how much time Roy will miss to recover either after the game or in the coming days.

It’s about as brutal of a debut with a new team as they come, as Roy was playing in his first game with the Caps since signing with the team in the offseason. He had two shots, a hit, a giveaway and was on the ice for both Devils goals that were scored in the 8:39 of ice time he played in before his departure, with the game tied 2-2 when he left.

Roy had another productive season in his final year with the Los Angeles Kings, as he had 5 goals and 20 assists for 25 points in 81 games. It was the third consecutive season that he had hit the 20-point mark in a season, and was just one point shy of the career-high of 26 that he achieved in 2022-23.

Roy also had 2 assists in 5 playoff games for the Kings in 2024, as the team was eliminated in the first round at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

Roy was a seventh-round pick by the Kings in the 2015 NHL Draft out of the WCHA, and after two more seasons with Michigan Tech, he made his professional hockey debut late in the 2016-17 with the Kings’ AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign. He spent two more seasons in the AHL before finally making his NHL debut in the 2018-19 season, and went on to play six seasons in Los Angeles before departing for free agency this past offseason.

Roy went on to sign a six-year contract with a $5.75 million cap hit with the Capitals in the summer, which takes up 6.53% of their cap hit this season and locks him up until he’s 35.