Dakota Joshua is finally back on the ice after a two-month battle with a lacerated kidney, but with the Maple Leafs roster logjam up front, his return to the lineup is far from guaranteed.
Dakota Joshua is finally skating with his teammates again. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward joined the rest of his team for practice on Tuesday, the team’s first since the NHL paused for the Olympic break. For Joshua, it was a massive milestone in his recovery after suffering from a lacerated kidney in a game against the Detroit Red Wings on Dec. 29.
So how did it go?
“A little rusty. You know, not the best, so still some ways to go,” Joshua told reporters after the session. “Nice to be out there with you guys”.
The Leafs practiced without Olympians Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. With Nylander out, Calle Jarnkrok moved up to act as a placeholder in Nylander’s spot, while Joshua slid into the spot Jarnkrok normally occupies alongside Steven Lorentz and Scott Laughton.
The Maple Leafs acquired Joshua in the summer from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in 2028. So far, it’s been a work-in-progress in terms of finding the right fit with the club. He had a bit of a slow start to the season before finding his groove toward the end of 2025 until the injury took place
“It was a lot of rest and recovery,” Joshua explained. “I couldn't really do much for a while there. Just waiting for it to heal back up to the point where I could start to work out again and now finally starting to skate again".
The Leafs do not resume their season until Feb. 25 when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning. Could Joshua be an option to return to the lineup?
“We'll see where he gets to,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said. “He’s feeling good and ready to go, so we'll see how it goes this week”.
The 29-year-old Joshua has six goals and four assists in 36 games this season. If the roster is fully healthy up front, the Leafs may use the luxury of time before electing to put Joshua in the lineup. Easton Cowan remains up with the club despite being a healthy scratch down the stretch with Toronto. So it could be a while yet for Joshua to get back in.
But if the Leafs begin to part ways with some players near the deadline, that could prompt an opening for Joshua to return quickly. Toronto has a lot invested in Joshua; he’s in the second year of a four-year deal that carries an annual salary cap hit of $3.25 million.