The Maple Leafs have acquired forward Dakota Joshua from the Canucks in exchange for their 2028 fourth-round pick, according to a team announcement.
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Joshua, whom Toronto drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 draft. He never signed with the Leafs, though, and had his signing rights traded to the Blues after he wrapped up his collegiate career with Ohio State in 2019.
Joshua worked his way up the St. Louis system over the next few years, playing 42 games under head coach Craig Berube, whom he now reunites with in Toronto. After establishing himself as an NHLer in the 2021-22 campaign, he left for Vancouver in free agency on a two-year, $1.65MM contract.
The 6’3″ forward was a high-end fourth-line piece for the Canucks out of the gate but really flourished in the 2023-24 campaign. After being moved up to a third-line role, he was a spectacular checking winger with a team-leading 245 hits while also contributing 32 points in 63 games, a 42-point pace had he stayed healthy.
Despite there being clear regression indicators – an unsustainably high 21.4% shooting percentage among them – Vancouver committed to Joshua on a four-year, $13MM deal with trade protection to keep him from testing free agency last summer. He has a 12-team no-trade clause, which presumably did not include Toronto.
Joshua’s season last year was a rocky one, but for more than on-ice reasons. He missed the first couple of months after announcing late in the offseason he’d undergone surgery to address testicular cancer, which thankfully hasn’t had further impacts on his health. He also dealt with a leg injury that cost him most of January, only making 57 appearances in all. His scoring cratered, posting a 7-7–14 line, while seeing his ice time drop back under 13 minutes per game as well.
Vancouver has been looking to clear cap space, and Irfaan Gaffar of the Down to Irf podcast reports that moving Joshua has been their desired mode of accomplishing that task for a while. The Canucks were close to the cap but now have $4.045MM in space with two open roster spots after the trade, per PuckPedia.
Joshua isn’t the impact top-six addition Toronto has been on the hunt for after losing Mitch Marner in free agency, but he does add another bottom-six option to complement their other bang-and-crash forwards like Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz while recouping some of the physical element they lost when they traded declining enforcer Ryan Reaves to the Sharks earlier this month.
The ripple effect on the Leafs’ roster will be interesting to watch. Without any other moves, Joshua’s inclusion essentially boxes unsigned RFA Nicholas Robertson out of a role, potentially finally producing a trade after he requested one last year. They’re also down to under $3MM in cap space and could look to clear a salary in kind, like Calle Jarnkrok’s $2.1MM cap hit or David Kampf’s $2.4MM cap hit to open up flexibility as they continue to examine the market for a higher-ceiling scoring winger.
Thomas Drance of The Athletic was first to report Joshua was traded to Toronto.
Image courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Put him on 1st or 2nd lines i bet he will hit 60pts .
While I doubt Joshua ever hits 60 points I agree I think he showed real promise and given the right situation he can and probably will flourish. I don’t think 50 points in a top 6 role with decent PP time is out of reach.
How about that! A four million dollar 4th liner, And who sees the value in that? The Toronto Maple Leafs! That organization is entertaining, If nothing else!
Do you sit in front of your computer waiting for the Leafs to do something, so you can give your armchair gm opinion?
I kind of agree with Sparky. Us Flames fans watched Tree pull these kinds of moves for years. Moves that hurt more than help. Is Joshua a value signing in the scheme of things? I can’t really see it. Time will tell I guess.
Still living rent free in your head in mid July.
Might I suggest a hobby? I hear rustling your toes between blades of freshly cut grass is quite fun.
What was that about KL? 😂
Not you, the other guy. It’s like he gets a ping whenever a Leaf has a bowel movement and he has to rush here to make comments about its consistency and colour. It’s insufferable.
I totally understand. We had Tree for years so kind of used to his MO. It could be a really sneaky good signing, but an example… Tree gave up good capital for a few games of Jarnkrok years ago and it was an absolute dud. Like all GM’s he’s had hit and misses. Flames fans just don’t respect Tree when he left, because he left a huuuuge mess.
Tree ruined a potentially exciting roster.
A steal for Toronto; his numbers last year were a result of time focused on beating cancer. He’s a nice fit & I expect a good third line, 45 point player with a lot of crash and bang. Canucks who refuse to sell high on anyone, get more for an AHL netminder than a guy who was unsung hero just 18 months ago. Perfect…
this screams Max is playing on the first or second line this year. there just too many 3/4th line guys for him not to be In a top 6 role to start.
Sneaky good pick up for the Leafs.
Nice addition.
Would still like to see Jarnkrok, Kampf, and potentially Domi moved to preserve some cap space.
As a Canucks fan who hardly missed a game…
I have bad news for all you leaf fans. He’s a 4th line guy who peaked before his cancer diagnosis last year (played with Garland, a line driver on the 3rd line)
He’s also not as tough as you hope. He’s not your Sam Bennet replacement.
Good guy, okay PK guy, and maybe some decent locker room vibes but not for $3million. But hey, I hope I’m wrong because he’s a solid dude