The Maple Leafs Haven't Seen the Best of Dakota Joshua Yet

It’s a shame Dakota Joshua will miss the start of the Toronto Maple Leafs season. I’ve always been a Joshua fan, particularly during those good years in Vancouver before he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He was one of those players who didn’t need to score a lot of goals to get noticed. He worked. He hit. He competed.

And every once in a while, he showed that he had some pretty good hockey skills, too.

Now Joshua has been moved to long-term injured reserve because of an abdominal injury. He was already considered week-to-week, but this means he will miss at least Toronto’s first 10 games and could be out longer. That’s too bad. Joshua had 10 goals, 18 points and 195 hits in just 55 games last season. The numbers don't exactly jump off the page. But the hits do tell part of the story.

As a Player, Joshua Is More Than His Numbers.

This is one of those times when looking at the box score doesn't really tell you what the player does. Joshua isn't going to carry the Maple Leafs offensively. But put him on the ice against a team that wants to make life difficult, and suddenly you have a guy who is willing to go to work. That's useful for this Maple Leafs team.

Toronto spent the offseason trying to become bigger, harder to play against and more suited to playoff hockey. Joshua fits that idea pretty nicely. He doesn't need the puck all the time. He just needs to be involved. And he usually is.

Maybe This Is What Toronto Will Miss Most.

We tend to look at a player's scoring numbers when we decide how important he is. Joshua is a good reminder that hockey isn't quite that simple. There are players who create offence. There are players who prevent offence. And then there are players who change the temperature of a hockey game. Joshua can do that.

He brings some nastiness. He finishes checks. He competes for loose pucks. He makes opponents think twice about wandering into certain areas. And he has the skill to play well. That's an important combination.

The Maple Leafs have other players who can bring physicality. Joshua isn't the only one. But having several of those players available is different from having one or two.

So the first 10 games without Joshua might tell us something. Not necessarily about whether Toronto can score enough goals. But about whether this new-look Maple Leafs team can bring the same edge without one of its more useful physical players.

I’ll Miss Watching Joshua Play.

I’m not going to miss the 30 goals he scores, because he won’t. But when Dakota Joshua is on the ice, something usually happens. And that's not only pretty valuable to the team. It’s fun, too.