Joshua was coming off a down season following major surgery two summers ago, but there was hope he would bounce back and find his form in Toronto. At 6-foot-3, 218 lbs., he was also part of Toronto’s strategy to get tougher and deeper, with the goal of a long playoff run.

Unfortunately, Joshua had trouble producing in Toronto’s bottom-six, and another injury kept him from yet finding his form with the Maple Leafs. Now, the 29-year-old has two years remaining on his $3.25 AAV contract, though his future with the team is uncertain.

How did the 2025-26 season go for Dakota Joshua?

Joshua’s season got off to a quiet start, with just two goals in his first 23 games. Through the first months of the season, he sat out as a healthy scratch multiple times as the team figured out their bottom six. At first, Joshua was paired up with Nicolas Roy and Matias Maccelli, though the line never found much success. Later Maccelli was swapped out for Bobby McMann, which brought moderate improvement.

In late December, Joshua got hurt in a game against the Detroit Red Wings. Days later, Berube revealed the injury was related to his kidney, and Joshua did not return until late February. In April, the Dearborn, Michigan native suffered another upper-body injury and was ruled out for the remaining schedule.

Overall, things never really picked up much on the scoresheet for Joshua. He finished the year with 10 goals and eight assists in 55 appearances, averaging 12:15 TOI/game. He finished tied with William Nylander for the team’s highest shooting percentage (among players with at least 15 games played) at 19.2%, but that was off a meagre 52 shots. He also managed 32 blocked shots through the year.

At the very least, Joshua delivered on his promise to bring the boom in Toronto. Despite playing just over half the season, he finished with a team-leading 195 hits, good for 25th in the league overall. On a team looking to get more physical, Joshua looked to be a good depth-add, but unfortunately he didn’t pack a punch offensively.

Dakota Joshua’s statistical profile in 2025-26

Category	Production	NHL rank
Expected goals for percentage	44.32%	495th
Goals for percentage	45.90%	414th
Corsi for percentage	43.25%	544th
Expected goals for per 60	2.42	540th
Expected goals against per 60	3.04	301st

All stats on 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick, among all players with 400 minutes or greater.

Joshua’s advanced metrics don’t paint a much prettier picture of his offensive production. While Toronto’s depth as a whole struggled this season, he failed to contribute in any meaningful way to improving those difficulties. When he was on the ice, the team wasn’t shooting enough or converting on opportunities. At 2.42, he posted one of the worst expected goals for per 60 on the team, well below the team average of 2.89 (among players with 400+ minutes).

The defensive side of Joshua’s game was the one positive, as can be seen in his expected goals against per 60, which outranks his other stats considerably. His 3.04 total was the third lowest among Maple Leafs skaters with 400+ minutes, significantly lower than the team’s average rate of 3.52 throughout the defensively poor season. If Joshua returns for another season, Toronto would do best to utilize him in a fourth-line backchecking role to highlight his strengths.