The Toronto Maple Leafs’ bottom six is about to get shaken up, as Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz look ready to slot back into the lineup. With their return, roster decisions will need to be evaluated, as head Craig Berube searches for that winning 12-man offensive combination.

After a somewhat middling start to the season, one depth player who has caught some flak from the fanbase so far is Dakota Joshua, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks this summer. Joshua struggled last season, as he recovered from major surgery, but the Leafs took a gamble he could find his 2023-24 form again, when he showcased his full potential with career-best numbers in multiple categories.

Joshua hasn’t appeared too impressive for the Leafs, and fingers have quickly been pointed in his direction. After taking a look at his stats, we can get a better picture of his true value to the team, both realized and potential.

Joshua’s biggest contribution to the team, quite literally, is his size. At 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, he’s one of the team’s tallest and heaviest skaters, and he uses it to his advantage. Joshua currently leads the team and sits top-ten in the league with 45 hits through 13 games played. He’s on pace for over 280 hits, which would easily break his career-high of 244, set two years ago in the 2023-24 season. That year, he added 74 hits in 13 postseason appearances, good for an impressive 5.69/game. As the Leafs constantly reiterate their desire to be a bigger team that’s tougher to play against, it’s hard to get better checking value than what Joshua is bringing right now.

“I had Dak in St. Louis and the last year I coached him he scored 10 goals,” Berube said about Joshua at the start of training camp. “He was really coming as a player, as a big, physical guy. He has the ability to score some goals. He touches the defensive side of things. We’re going to rely heavily on him being a good heavy forecheck player and a hard guy to play against. And he became a pretty good penalty killer in Vancouver. He is a good add for us.”

Joshua has taken the most heat for his lack of offensive production. Through 13 games, Joshua recorded two goals and two assists, on pace to finish with 12 goals and 12 assists this season. On a team searching for secondary scoring, Joshua’s numbers leave something to be desired.

There’s cause to believe things could turn around. Joshua’s best year offensively was also in that 2023-24 campaign, when he registered 18 goals and 32 points through 63 games played. But through the first 13 games of that season, he had just a goal and two assists. Things picked up for him through the season, and he capped off the campaign with six goals and three assists through the final 11 games of the year. In the playoffs, he added another four goals and four assists, proving along with his impressive hits total that he can step up when it counts.

Make no mistake, just like a lot of Toronto’s roster right now, Joshua hasn’t played his best hockey to start the year. But considering what he brings physically and his potential to support offensively, there’s still good reason to believe he can be a key depth piece for the Leafs, especially as they look for a deeper postseason run this spring.

TABLE Fare + Social is a vibrant food hall in the heart of Toronto’s financial district,
offering a unique dining and social experience just steps from transit and the
arena—perfect for pregame meals before tip-off. Open weekdays from 11am to 10pm,
TABLE serves up morning treats, creative eats, and lively after-work events. With a
private terrace overlooking Toronto’s elevated park, guests enjoy stunning views
alongside year-round programming that includes food tastings, cooking classes, live
music, and pop-up events designed to spark connection and creativity.
Follow along @Tablefood hall or tablefoodhall.com