Former Maple Leafs draft pick Dakota Joshua wants a reunion with Toronto

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Julien Trekker
May 31, 2024 (2:13 PM)

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According to a new report, free agent Dakota Joshua, drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2014, would be interested in going back to where it all started: in Toronto.

Joshua, who made a case for himself in the playoffs with an eight-point tally with the Canucks, will need a new contract this summer, and as of now, it doesn't look like he'll find it in Vancouver.

"The Canucks and Joshua, who can enter free agency on July 1, aren't 'close' on a contract, per Rick Dhaliwal of Donnie & Dhali."

An interesting possibility emerged, as experts considered the option of a reunion with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 28-year-old forward was drafted 128th overall in 2014 by the Leafs. At the time, the team was led by former general manager Dave Nonis, who now works as assistant general manager and senior VP of hockey operations with the Calgary Flames.

Since his draft, he played four years in the NCAA with Ohio State University before being traded by Kyle Dubas to the St. Louis Blues in 2019. He spent the last two seasons with the Vancouver Canucks organization, scoring 55 points (29 goals, 26 assists) in 142 games.

According to James Mirtle of The Athletic, Joshua could be interested in going back to Toronto if he gets an offer on the free agent market:

"I've heard some people say that Joshua wouldn't want to be in Toronto because he was a draft pick and he played four years in college and walked. I'm told that's not true."

"He would be interested in Toronto. The reason he didn't sign with Toronto when he was a pick was that he thought it would be hard to break into the forward group at the time, given all the good young forwards they had at the time, and he thought going somewhere else he would get more of an opportunity in the NHL faster. That's why he made that choice."

While Brad Treliving will have a lot of free agents to deal with this summer, fans sure hope that he keeps an eye on the players available on the market. If he does, the interest in a reunion with Joshua should be mutual.

Source: The Hockey News - Report: Canucks Forward Joshua 'Would Be Interested' in Signing with Maple Leafs During NHL Free Agency