Latest news with #DakotaJoshua
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Dakota Joshua takes fellow cancer survivor Phil Kessel's No. 81
Dakota Joshua was traded here a week ago for a fourth-round pick in 2028. He was briefly in the Leaf orbit as a 2014 draft selection at 128th overall, the year William Nylander went eighth. Frank Franklin II/The Associated Press Dakota Joshua knows taking number 81 on the Maple Leafs comes with a lot of history. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But in asking for it, the new left winger isn't thinking of Phil Kessel the enigmatic scorer as much as a fellow testicular cancer survivor. 'I love the mojo there,' Joshua told the Sun on Tuesday when confirming he'll wear his familiar digits from the Vancouver Canucks. 'I knew his story and looking forward to playing a long time here like Kessel did.' Kessel's bout with the disease was with the Boston Bruins, before he led Toronto in points six consecutive seasons up to 2015. Joshua was diagnosed early last season, had a tumour removed and made it back to play 57 games. But it affected many aspects of his play and while his offensive numbers slipped, the Canucks missed the playoffs and the term and burden of Joshua's contract ($3.25 million for three more years) were part of a change in direction for that club. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'For sure it puts your life in perspective,' Joshua said of his serious medical issue. 'The biggest takeaway is that anything can happen to you, so make the most of (life). But after coming out the other side, I'm stronger as a person. It makes you confident you can get through anything.' Joshua was traded here a week ago for a fourth-round pick in 2028. He was briefly in the Leaf orbit as a 2014 draft selection at 128th overall, the year William Nylander went eighth. Joshua stayed at home at Dearborn, Mich., for that draft in Philadelphia, but did come to a couple of developmental camps where at 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he certainly garnered attention. But the Leafs were undergoing a huge changing of the guard and he didn't see a future in Hogtown – at least then. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Being drafted by the Leafs was very special, a big moment in my career. It didn't work out (the Ohio State grad was traded to St. Louis for future considerations), a mix of not being the right fit and a better opportunity with the Blues. 'But I had fun at Toronto's camps and coming here today (to the Ford Centre practice facility) it was a little familiar to me.' The 29-year-old met with general manager Brad Treliving, the training and equipment staff and caught up with some Leafs who are already busy with summer training. He says there was no discussion of exactly where he'll fit in on left wing, likely in the bottom six once September camp begins. 'Today was moreso an introduction, getting back in the building and Brad telling me to have a good summer so I can hit the ground running in a couple of months.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Since the trade, the sports networks have flooded their Leaf segments with Joshua's fights, including one with Ottawa's Brady Tkachuk, one of Toronto great nemeses, another a couple of years ago with Leaf defender Mark Giordano just before he turned 40. Giordano, now a member of the Leafs' development staff, said at the time he had second thoughts once he saw how big Joshua was. 'I didn't see Mark today, but I'm sure when I do, we'll have a few laughs about it,' Joshua said. Sportsnet also noted Joshua and Tkachuk are two of three NHLers with 35-plus goals and at least 650 hits since 2022-23. 'For sure, that's my game,' Joshua said. 'It's chip in offensively (18 goals the year before his cancer scare), play an up-and-down style. (Fighting) is part of the job. I Can't wait until we get started.' lhornby@ X: @sunhornby Canada Columnists Celebrity Entertainment Olympics
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Dakota Joshua's return could be the grit the Toronto Maple Leafs have always missed in the NHL
Maple Leafs trade for Dakota Joshua (Credit: George Walker IV/AP) When the Toronto Maple Leafs traded a 2028 fourth-round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Dakota Joshua, it didn't dominate headlines. But fans who've seen the Leafs struggle in postseason scrums know why this matters. At 6-foot-3 and over 200 pounds, Joshua adds grit, presence, and toughness to a forward group that's long been called finesse-heavy. His 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games with the Vancouver Canucks during the 2023–24 NHL season speak volumes. He's more than a grinder; he can finish plays, screen goalies, and wear opponents down. His standout performance against the Nashville Predators in the playoffs proved just how valuable his skill set can be in tight games. Maple Leafs Acquire F Dakota Joshua From Canucks! | Instant Analysis Craig Berube connection could shape his role This isn't the first time Dakota Joshua has worked with Craig Berube. The two shared time with the St. Louis Blues, and the familiarity shows. Berube, known for demanding structure and edge, values players like Joshua who do the dirty work, don't take lazy penalties, and stay engaged every shift. Joshua's return isn't just a roster move; it's likely a targeted pickup by Berube himself. That makes his role in Toronto more intriguing. Expect him to anchor a third- or fourth-line unit designed to grind, frustrate, and shift momentum when the games get heavy. Toronto isn't just looking for points; they're looking for identity. Joshua might deliver both. Corrado on Joshua: 'This guys fits the mold of what Treliving's talking about' A draft pick returns stronger and hungrier Back in 2014, the Maple Leafs selected Dakota Joshua with the 128th overall pick. However, there was no clear path for him at the time. His rights were quietly moved to the St. Louis Blues, and like many mid-round picks, he fell off the radar. But Joshua didn't fade; he evolved. After solid NCAA years with Ohio State and grinding his way through AHL and NHL chances, he's become a dependable depth forward. Add to that his comeback from a cancer scare last season, and you get a player shaped by adversity; resilient, focused, and ready to contribute in every zone. Joshua brings leadership and something bigger than stats Beyond his numbers and size, Dakota Joshua adds something deeper to the Toronto Maple Leafs' locker room. As one of the few Black players in the NHL, he has spoken openly about the challenges he has faced in the sport. His voice carries weight. He leads not with speeches, but with his work ethic and calm determination. Dakota Joshua isn't flashy. But he might be the glue guy Toronto's needed for years. In the long grind of an NHL season, and especially in the chaos of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, his brand of hockey matters. And with Berube at the helm, it's no accident that Joshua is back wearing blue and white. This time, he's ready to stick. Also Read: Five big NHL stars' names headline potential shakeups in the upcoming trade as teams look ahead to major roster decisions Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Toronto Maple Leafs complete $10.5M Mitch Marner replacement project ahead of 2025–26 NHL season
NHL-Toronto Maple Leafs (Credit: Getty Images) T he Toronto Maple Leafs may have finally turned the page on the Mitch Marner era. The team entered this offseason knowing it was unlikely their $10.9 million forward would return. Now, they've executed what appears to be their solution: a four-man effort to replicate Marner's all-around value. While no single player can replace the dynamic impact of Marner, one of the top two-way wingers in the National Hockey League, the Maple Leafs have chosen a different path. As famously quoted in Moneyball, it's about replacing a star 'in the aggregate.' Toronto's front office brought in four new NHL talents, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, Joshua Roy, and Michael Pezzetta, whose combined cap hit stands at $10.5 million for the upcoming 2025–26 season. The strategy is simple: redistribute Marner's workload across a mix of skill, physicality, and depth. A blend of grit and finesse arrives in Toronto M by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo accelli is arguably the most skilled of the incoming group. The Finnish winger brings offensive upside and high hockey IQ, skills that align well with the team's top-six structure. Dakota Joshua, fresh off a strong season with the Vancouver Canucks, adds size, checking ability, and defensive responsibility. Marner's departure marks a new chapter Marner's likely exit this summer didn't catch anyone off guard. The Toronto Maple Leafs knew early in the offseason that re-signing the former London Knights star would be a long shot. The 27-year-old's price tag. And the team's evolving cap structure made it a difficult fit. The pressure doesn't ease with the change Even without Marner, the expectations in Toronto remain sky-high; the Maple Leafs still boast core stars like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Morgan Rielly. Now, with a deeper and potentially more balanced lineup, Toronto hopes to finally overcome its postseason demons. Replacing Marner isn't about finding another elite winger, it's about building a more resilient and complete team. Whether the $10.5 million project pays off won't be known until April, but one thing's clear: the Toronto Maple Leafs are betting on depth over star power this time. Also Read: Edmonton Oilers linked to $27m veteran Jonathan Marchessault, pressure mounts as Oilers eye scoring boost for NHL 2025-26 season Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
The Province
7 days ago
- Sport
- The Province
Have the Canucks created enough cap space to sign free agent Jack Roslovic?
Vancouver's Dakota Joshua trade was clearly to move out money and they've been linked to Roslovic, a 22-goal man last season with Carolina Get the latest from Steve Ewen straight to your inbox Columbus native Jack Roslovic had his moments with the Blues Jackets in 2021-22 with 22 goals and 45 points. Photo by Jason Mowry / Getty Images The Vancouver Canucks are said to be chasing free agent Jack Roslovic but whether the team has opened up enough cap space to land him remains to be seen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors PuckPedia has the Canucks with $3.27 million available to spend after they dealt winger Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday for a 2028 NHL Draft fourth-round selection. Roslovic, 28, is undoubtedly the top remaining unrestricted free agent on the market, coming off a 22-goal, 39-point season with the Carolina Hurricanes. Vancouver needs to upgrade its team's top-six forward group and Roslovic was sixth in ice time, at 13:49 minutes per game, with a Carolina team that won 47 and finished 10th overall in the regular season. Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK's Donnie and Dhali was reporting Thursday that the Canucks have been in talks with Roslovic's camp. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound right-shot forward, who can play both centre and wing, has been linked to the Canucks at various points over the past few years, dating back to when Jim Benning was general manager. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Roslovic had a cap hit of $2.8 million on a one-year deal last season. He's undoubtedly looking for a significant raise and a multi-year contract. He came into last season following a two-year deal with a $4.0 million cap hit. For comparables, the Philadelphia Flyers inked centre Christian Dvorak, 29, who had 12 goals and 33 points with the Montreal Canadiens, to a one-year, $5.4 million deal earlier this off-season. Vancouver is said to have made a play to land Dvorak. Vancouver had just three players score 20 or more goals last season. Pius Suter, who had 25 goals with the Canucks, left as a free agent, signing a two-year deal with a $4.125 million cap hit with the St. Louis Blues, The Canucks, of course, didn't have the cap space when Suter, 29, departed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Vancouver would seemingly have ample competition to land Roslovic. He's been linked this off-season to the Washington Capitals, Buffalo Sabres, San Jose Sharks and, oddly enough, the Maple Leafs. PuckPedia has the Maple Leafs $2.93 million under the cap after the Joshua move. The Capitals are at $4.13 million under, the Sabres at $7.39 million and the Sharks at $19.74 million. Of the remaining free agents, Roslovic was the top goal scorer last season, followed by winger Joel Kiviranta (16 with the Colorado Avalanche), winger Victor Olofsson (15 with the Vegas Golden Knights) and centre Luke Kunin (11 with San Jose and the Columbus Blue Jackets). Ideally, Vancouver would add a No. 2 centre to play behind Elias Pettersson. Roslovic was fifth in faceoffs taken with Carolina last season. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Joshua, 29, is heading into the second year of a four-year contract he signed with Vancouver last June. Rick Tocchet, who cut ties with the Canucks as head coach at the end of last season, is said to have been a particular fan of Joshua. Joshua had seven goals and 14 points in 57 games last season, but his campaign is impossible to gauge fairly on its own considering he was diagnosed with testicular cancer and needed surgery in September. He put up 18 goals and 32 points in 63 regular season games in 2023-24 with Vancouver, and then notched four goals and eight points in 13 playoff games. He's still seen as largely a third-line type, though. He's the eighth regular from the Vancouver team that two seasons ago won 50 regular season games and took the Edmonton Oilers to seven games in Round 2 — plus goalie Artūrs Šilovs — who's no longer with the club. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Roslovic is from Columbus and was a 2015 first-round pick (No. 25 overall) by the Winnipeg Jets out of the U.S. National Development Team program. He's teammates there included Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews. His coach there was Don Granato, the brother of Canucks assistant general manager Cammi Granato. Winnipeg nabbed Roslovic two spots after the Canucks drafted winger Brock Boeser. Roslovic has 102 goals and 260 points in 526 regular season games. His 22-goal season with Carolina this past year tied his career high, which he set in 2021-22 with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He had his career high for points that campaign with 45. He signed the deal with the $4 million cap hit after that season. Roslovic had nine goals and 31 points in 59 regular season games split between the Blue Jackets and New York Rangers in 2023-24. He also has 45 playoff games on his resume. @SteveEwen SEwen@ Read More Vancouver Canucks News News Crime News
New York Times
18-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What's next for Vancouver Canucks after Dakota Joshua trade? Cap space, centres and UFA targets
The trade that sent Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a 2028 fourth-round pick was consummated on Thursday morning and announced in the early afternoon, clearing $3.25 million off the Vancouver Canucks' cap sheet. Ever since mid-May or so, when Canucks hockey operations really dug into their offseason planning and began to work through various scenarios for this summer, the club has been in the market to shed a salary-cap commitment or two. That effort intensified over the course of this week, as we previously reported. Advertisement In considering their options, the two names we'd repeatedly heard were out there on the trade market were Joshua and centre Teddy Blueger. These weren't players that the Canucks were necessarily eager to trade. Given the cap math and the severity of their needs down the middle, however, they were players that they understood they might have to consider moving in order to gain the salary-cap flexibility required to upgrade at centre and reimagine their forward group. With Joshua off the books, however, Blueger is effectively off the block for now. He could still be the next cap domino to fall if the right opportunity to upgrade at centre presents itself, but the club values the penalty killing and reliability that Blueger offers in their bottom-six forward group at a position of significant need. Here's what we should expect the Canucks to do next, in the wake of the Joshua trade. Joshua, 29, was signed to a sharp two-way contract as a Group VI unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022. A big-bodied forward with legitimately soft hands in front of goal, Joshua turned himself into a screaming value, finding chemistry with Conor Garland and playing top-six minutes for the Canucks during the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Signed last summer to a four-year extension, however, Joshua endured a nightmare campaign following a testicular cancer diagnosis, which required surgery. In attempting to jump onto an already moving train, Joshua just never quite got caught up. And right when it seemed like he might, he sustained another lower-body injury. Vancouver's desire to shed Joshua's salary had more to do with cap math and prioritizing the centre position than it did the organization souring on the player. That said, Joshua was often viewed as a player who required a fair bit of coaching and work in order to motivate, something that spilled into public view during the 2023 preseason when his fitness level was directly called out by then-Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. Advertisement While team sources insist that this was a deal that Vancouver made reluctantly, one wonders if, given the rapport and trust level between Joshua and Tocchet, there's some hypothetical possibility that the club would've been more reluctant to move off Joshua's contract if the head coach had remained in Vancouver. In any event, the club moved aggressively this week to explore all options to shed Joshua's salary, and ultimately found a taker. Toronto, the team that originally drafted Joshua, is coached by Craig Berube, who is both a close personal friend and confidant of Tocchet, and who previously worked with Joshua during their shared time with the St. Louis Blues. If the return seems a bit light at first blush, it's very much consistent with what teams were able to net for big-bodied middle-six forwards on the trade market throughout this summer. In fact, Vancouver arguably did better than most teams making similar cap-shedding deals this offseason. The Canucks, for example, were on the other end of a similar deal when they bought Evander Kane from the Edmonton Oilers for a fifth-round pick in late June. The Seattle Kraken parted with a third- and a fourth-rounder when acquiring Mason Marchment from the Dallas Stars. Both Kane and Marchment have far longer track records of top-six production than Joshua has, and Joshua has more term remaining on his deal. In total salary cap liability, the Canucks effectively save $4.625 million (over three years) by swapping out Joshua for Kane in a pair of similar but unrelated deals. The Joshua return just further illustrates the extent to which the cap growth era has warped the trade value for various players. We're only a few years removed, after all, from teams having to pay exorbitant fees in order to shed multiyear cap liabilities on the trade market. Now, in this current climate, the Canucks were able to net positive value for a player who struggled with injuries and form last season, and has three years remaining on his contract. Advertisement In modelling out the Canucks' available cap space, we might reasonably view the club as having about $3 million, give or take a few hundred thousand, depending on the precise composition of the players you'd include on the roster, with a vacant spot remaining on the 23-man. From what I can gather from team sources, however, the Canucks view themselves as having about $4 million in cap space to work with in the wake of the Joshua deal. How do we square that difference? It's simple. I'm trying to fill a 23-man roster, whereas the Canucks may be more comfortable rolling with an open roster spot to open the season. Certainly, that would be consistent with how the club operated last season, especially during homestands. While the new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) extending the NHL/NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) will make it more difficult to toll cap space going beginning in the 2026-27 campaign, for this upcoming season, the Canucks should be expected to still be able to utilize paper transactions and toll space without regard for a playoff salary cap next season. Entering the year with some additional cap space, then, would give the Canucks the ability to toll additional cap space ahead of the NHL trade deadline with an eye toward seizing an opportunity to more durably upgrade at centre. That flexibility was front of mind for the club as it endeavoured to open up cap space on the trade market over this past week. The next question is whether or not Vancouver decides to go fishing in the unrestricted free agent bargain bin and pursue one of those available players who have slipped through the cracks and may be available at a reduced price. This is a fishing hole that the Canucks have actively utilized over the past two offseasons, signing the likes of Pius Suter, Daniel Sprong and Kevin Lankinen in late July, August and September, respectively. Jack Roslovic's name is of particular interest here. CHEK TV and The Athletic's Rick Dhaliwal reported that there have been talks between the Canucks and Roslovic's camp, which matches what I've heard. Is there a match between the Canucks and Jack Roslovic? There have been talks with the Canucks and his camp. — Rick Dhaliwal (@DhaliwalSports) July 17, 2025 I would add that in the event the Canucks opt to pursue Roslovic, they'd likely do so on a multiyear deal — probably two years — as opposed to just doing a one-year show-me type contract. That would be consistent with how the club approached talks with Suter in the summer of 2023. Roslovic is a player that Vancouver has pursued on the trade market in the past, dating back to his time in Columbus, and they believed they'd be priced out on him when the market opened. There's a lot of admiration for Roslovic's speed and his ability to pitch in at centre (although he's viewed as a versatile option capable of playing centre, and not a full-time top-nine calibre pivot). There's also an understanding that he's repeatedly struggled to maintain consistency throughout his NHL career, so we'll see where this one goes. Advertisement Big picture, while the Canucks are monitoring some of the available unrestricted free agents, Roslovic among them, I don't believe they view what remains on the open market as representing 'the answer' to what the club needs to do to upgrade down the middle of its forward group for the long-term. There are players who could help, and if the price point makes sense and that player can be brought in without additional acquisition cost, it's something the club will explore. Ultimately, Vancouver's needs at centre are still going to require a bigger swing, most likely on the trade market, to address the organization's own satisfaction.
