After overcoming a battle with testicular cancer, Dakota Joshua faces yet another hurdle as a kidney injury sidelines the player with no timeline for a return.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently battling injuries to several players, but the absence of Dakota Joshua was a surprise until head coach Craig Berube shared details regarding a kidney injury. The player sustained the injury from either a check or a hard hit into the boards during the club’s 3-2 overtime loss against the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
“It’s got blood and everything,” Berube revealed. “So we've got to see where he's at.”
Joshua remained in Detroit following the game after the injury. He is from the nearby suburb of Dearborn, which made it easy for him to be with family as the ailment gets the proper care. An injury to a major organ is serious, and we at The Hockey News ertainly wishes the player a speedy recovery.
It is a difficult setback for a player who has already overcome a significant health scare. In September 2024, Joshua sought medical evaluation after identifying a lump on one of his testicles, which led to a diagnosis of testicular cancer. He missed the entirety of the Vancouver Canucks' training camp before returning to action with the club in mid-November. He finished that season with seven goals and seven assists in 57 games.
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Tanev (lower body) and Joshua (upper body) won't play on Tuesday, while Matthews (lower body) is a game-time decision.
The Leafs acquired Joshua the following summer for a fourth-round draft pick in 2028. Despite a slow start, Joshua’s play had begun to ramp up as a net positive for Toronto and he became a regular in the club’s bottom-six forward group. The 29-year-old has six goals and four assists in 36 games with the Leafs this season while averaging 12:19 of ice time.
The Leafs did not provide a specific timeline for when Joshua can return, but some clarity is expected to emerge in the coming days. However, the team will certainly miss the player’s size as Toronto’s wingers become slightly smaller in his absence.