Dakota Joshua sat out Saturday's split-squad game, and head coach Jim Hiller confirmed the Toronto Maple Leafs forward is dealing with an injury.
The Maple Leafs dropped both split-squad matchups against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night, and Joshua's usual spot in the bottom six sat empty.
Hiller kept the details close to the vest, telling reporters only that Joshua is "dealing with something" right now. No timeline. No further explanation.
Toronto took him in the fifth round, 128th overall, back in the 2014 NHL Draft, long before he grew into a physical, energy-line regular.
Joshua posted 10 goals and 8 assists in 55 games for Toronto last season, settling in at a minus-2 rating on a crowded bottom six.
Over 296 career NHL games split between Vancouver and Toronto, he's put up 50 goals and 46 assists, mostly on the physical, checking-line end of the ice.
He carries a cap hit of $3,250,000 through the 2027-28 season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. That's real term left on the books.
Toronto's bottom six waits on answers
Toronto rebuilt its depth up front this off-season, so the staff isn't short on bodies if Joshua needs extra time before the opener.
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Watching a veteran on a real contract pop up banged up in the first week of camp isn't a great look for Toronto. It's a bit like buying a spare tire only to discover it's already flat.
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The Maple Leafs, already dropping their last two, are back in action Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators, and how Joshua moves in practice before then will tell the staff plenty.
Whether this is a minor camp bump or something that costs him real time into October is still unclear, and Toronto isn't saying much more than that for now.
Should the Maple Leafs move on from Dakota Joshua if their bottom six is already deep enough without him?
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