Matt Roy

In what was his first full NHL season in 2019-20, Roy established himself as a defensive stalwart for the Kings. On a team that had one of the worst offenses in the league, and consequently one of the worst goal differentials, he somehow posted a plus-16 rating in 70 games. Anze Kopitar was second on the team with a plus-6 mark, and only two other Kings who saw regular action were even above zero. Roy made a similar impact in secondary stats, reaching triple digits in hits and blocked shots, and in advanced stats as his 56.1 percent CorsiFor was second on the team to the since-traded Tyler Toffoli. Roy doesn't offer much offensive production, but he doesn't need to in order to be an invaluable part of the Los Angeles blue line. The organization has some impressive young defensemen on the way up, but the 25-year-old Roy will provide the bedrock for the next generation to stand on.

The 24-year-old made his NHL debut in February and didn't look out of place on the Kings' blue line, scoring two goals and six points in 25 games while registering a palatable minus-1 rating. Roy is a modern puck-moving defenseman who has experience running a power play dating back to college, but he's worked hard to improve his play in his own end as well, and he seems poised to carve out a top-four role for the Kings as soon as this season. He doesn't have an elite ceiling, but if Drew Doughty gets traded as part of the club's rebuilding efforts, Roy is the player best positioned to benefit in the short term by inheriting most of Doughty's offensive duties.