A deep dive into the 2023-24 season of Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua.

Welcome to the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks player review series. Over the summer, we will be taking a look at Canucks players performances from the 2023-24 season. Today's player is Dakota Joshua, who had 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games. 

Joshua took another step forward in his development last season, which led to him being named the team's unsung hero for the second consecutive year. He set a new career-high with 18 goals, while his 244 were tied with Maxim Lapierre for the most in a season by a forward in franchise history. Joshua also showed great chemistry with Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger as the trio made up one of the best third lines in the NHL during the 2023-24 campaign. 

While most of the focus surrounding Joshua will be on his offensive production, his work in the defensive zone needs to be praised. He ranked second among forwards on the team in shorthanded minutes during the regular season and was only on the ice for 11 goals against in 115:16. Joshua was also near the top of the league at forcing turnovers on the penalty kill, as according to Natural Stat Trick, his ten shorthanded takeaways ranked tied for 28th in the league with Jordan Staal, Seth Jarvis, Simon Holmstrom, Joel Armia and Sam Reinhart. His ability to kill penalties is just another example of how he outperformed his contract and was able to bring value to the lineup on a nightly basis. 

One of the reasons Joshua set a new career high in goals is that he capitalized on his opportunities. His 21.4% shooting percentage was the third-highest in the league among players who played at least 41 games, while he was just one of nine skaters to pull off a between-the-legs goal. Ultimately, Joshua was able to show just how dangerous his wrist shot can be, and if not for an injury, he may have hit the 25-goal mark last season. 

As for the postseason, Joshua was one of Vancouver's best forwards throughout. He finished with eight points in 13 games, while his 74 hits ranked third by the end of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Joshua was also able to record his first career postseason game-winning goal, which came as part of a three-point effort in the Canucks Round 1, Game 1 victory over the Nashville Predators.

Joshua is the type of player that every successful organization needs in their middle six. He received a well-deserved contract extension this offseason and will be looked upon to provide physicality and depth scoring throughout the 2024-25 campaign. While he is only entering his third season in Vancouver, it is safe to say he has been one of the best free agent finds this organization has seen in the last decade. 

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