The storyline went like this: An appealing young star joins forces with his larger-than-life hero and enjoys great success before having to deal with an unexpected plot twist. Only it wasn't fiction.

Denis is one of several talented young goaltenders from Quebec now in the NHL who grew up trying to emulate Patrick Roy. He was the only one, however, who got to understudy the future Hall of Famer -- until he was traded away.

Marc Denis covers a lot of space in goal for Columbus.(Allsport)

"It was a shock at first, but when I had a chance to think about it, I realized it was the best thing for my career at this stage," Denis told SportsLine.com about being traded to Columbus last spring. "The truth is when you go through an expansion, you have to expect that goalies get moved."

Even when they are considered the heir apparent.

Denis was the goalie the Avalanche had groomed for several years to succeed Roy. He was Colorado's first-round draft pick in 1995 and joined the organization two years later after completing an outstanding junior career.

While playing for Chicoutimi of the Quebec league, Denis was named Canada's junior goalie of the year and helped his country post consecutive gold medal victories at the World Junior championships. He was named the top goaltender of the international tournament in 1997.

Denis continued to shine when he turned pro, winning a Calder Cup title with Colorado's AHL farm team in Hershey and posting very solid numbers over the next two seasons. Last year he made the NHL roster to stay as Roy's backup, appearing in 23 games and drawing very favorable reviews while posting a 9-8-3 record with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage.

To a player who grew up in Montreal revering one of the region's hockey legends, it was a dream season.

"I was always cheering for the Habs when I was a kid and Patrick Roy was their goalie," Denis said. "He got there when I was about nine years old, so I grew up watching and idolizing him and to learn from him was absolutely great.

"Imagine, last year I was in a position where he's asking me questions and what I think about his game. It was really amazing."

But it wasn't enough to save Denis from the expansion draft numbers game. The Avalanche could not protect him, and rather than go uncompensated, they dealt Denis to the Blue Jackets for a second-round draft pick, a price Columbus GM Doug MacLean termed as "substantial " to the new organization.

"(But) I wouldn't have considered it if I wasn't getting a premier young goaltender," MacLean said.

The general manager describes Denis as "a future cornerstone of the franchise," but is intent on developing the 23-year-old him patiently behind veteran Ron Tugnutt, who was signed as a free agent.

"He clearly is a guy being groomed," said Blue Jackets head coach Dave King. "And he's going to get his opportunity with us."

Denis has already played more games this season than he did last, and has put up respectable numbers for someone backstopping a first-year team. He has posted six of the team's 21 victories and earned a league Player of the Week award in December.

Overall, he has shown the skill and poise of a player who was rated the best young goaltending prospect in hockey only a couple of years ago.

"He's progressed nicely," King said. "We didn't give him much support at the beginning and he had to face not only a fair number of shots, but a fair number of high-quality shots. But he handled it well and I think it put his mental skills more to the test than in the past."

Perhaps, but for someone who hopes to pursue a career in sports psychology when his playing days are over, it has not been overwhelming. Denis said the biggest adjustment was simply with his expectations going in.

"Obviously the first half of the season puts 20 guys together for the first time and playing 40 games, so you can't really set any goals," Denis said. "Other than that, being on an expansion team instead of Colorado doesn't change the way I approach the game. You want to stop one more puck than the guy across from you. That's going to be my job my whole career."

And the sooner the job is his, the better it will be for Denis.

"I know you have to be patient and I am, but as far as being labeled the goalie of the future, I know one thing, there's no such thing," he said. "You want to be the goalie of the present when you're between the pipes. That's all that matters."