"We knew this was coming," Toronto coach Craig Berube said. "It's a tight-knit group in there. They won't be happy about it. But, again, we put ourselves in this situation so this is what happens. ... But, yeah, he was a guy we brought in and he's played pretty well for us. Tough to see him go, but that's the situation we’re in."
Selected by the Carolina Hurricanes in the fourth round (No. 96) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Roy has 186 points (73 goals, 113 assists) in 428 regular-season games for the Hurricanes, Golden Knights and Maple Leafs, and 32 points (10 goals, 22 assists) in 79 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
He won the Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.
The Avalanche (41-10-9) are first in the NHL standings and six points ahead of the Dallas Stars for first in the Central Division. They visit the Stars on Friday (8 p.m. ET; Victory+, ALT).
“The team’s been really good for years now, obviously this year, even more special group,” Roy said after the morning skate. “You always want to be part of those types of teams and have a chance to win.”
The Maple Leafs (27-25-11) are seventh in the Atlantic Division, eight points behind the Boston Bruins, who hold the second wild card in the East and have played two more games.
They have lost six straight games (0-4-2) since the Olympic break, and 12 of 15 (3-9-3).
“Obviously being in Toronto at this time, we knew we were probably going to be sellers,” Roy said. “I knew it was probably a possibility. I was at Utah yesterday and I actually got the call. The knowledge that it was maybe Colorado, obviously I was really excited.
“I heard great words around the League from everybody that’s been part of the team. Great organization, great city, obviously great team, so really excited.”
In the event that the Avalanche's 2027 first-round selection is in the top 10, they will send their unprotected 2028 first-round pick to the Maple Leafs. Colorado currently holds three fifth-round selections in the 2026 Draft; the lowest of those three picks will be transferred to Toronto as part of the trade.
On Wednesday, the Avalanche acquired defenseman Nick Blankenberg from the Nashville Predators for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
