Joshua Roy is in the midst of a good deal of lethargy in Laval

Last night, the Laval Rocket was defeated for the fourth consecutive game. The club’s 5-9-3 record is uninspiring, especially as the Rocket is counting on several good young prospects on the team.

Maybe it’s just part of the process of developing a young core, and the numerous injuries didn’t help either, but it’s disappointing nonetheless.

Speaking of good prospects in Laval, Joshua Roy is perhaps the most talked-about name. Not so long ago, his 18 points in 14 games put him in good stead across the league as the league’s rookie of the hour.

The problem is, three games later, Roy is still at 18 points. He hasn’t scored a single point in his last three games, and in his last four games, he’s maintained a -7 differential. He has one game with a -5 differential that doesn’t help, but he hasn’t finished any of his last four games with a positive differential.

Now, beyond the score sheet, it’s what’s happening on the ice that’s a little more worrying, as the second effort doesn’t always seem to be there in his case for some time. Anthony Marcotte, who is well placed to speak as the club’s describer, has noticed this.

Can his effort difficulties over the last few games be explained by a few bad habits coming back, by fatigue accumulating, by his opponents adapting to him, or by the accumulation of defeats becoming heavy? Maybe it’s a mixture of all these things, too.

Of course, there’s no need to panic: lethargy in a young player making the leap to the pros is part of the game. He went through a smaller one(which was a little different) earlier this season, and eventually pulled through.

You can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs, and you can’t develop without ever facing adversity.

Once again, it just goes to show how important it is to be patient with Roy, and to let him experience his ups and downs in the AHL before thinking of calling him back. I’m not saying he couldn’t make it in the NHL right now (because I think he has the talent to do so), but he has more room to learn and make mistakes in Laval.

It gives him an opportunity to play big minutes and experience the reality of a full season in the pros as a big player on a team. And since he has the potential to be a big deal in Montreal, it’s learning that will pay off in the future.

Now it’s up to him to find a way out. He has the talent to do it, but now he has to find the right recipe.

In Brief

– Mike Reilly leaves for the Islanders. With Adam Pelech out for a long time, reinforcements were needed.

– Sabres recall two top prospects. They need a spark to get their season back on track.

– Speaking of the Sabres, Kyle Okposo was up yesterday motivating his troops. That led to a big comeback late in the game to win it.

– Again and again, the subject of patience comes up.

– Chris Kreider continues to score goals by the ton.

– Bartolo Colon still pitching in 2023 and Pablo Sandoval hitting six-run homers, it’s possible in the Baseball United league.