Could a reunion be on the horizon?
The Toronto Maple Leafs are poised for another interesting offseason with plenty of turnover expected to come. Question marks are found up and down the lineup with goaltending and defense at the forefront of holes to fill. However, another area for improvement is up the middle and a difference maker on offense in general.
On the newest segment of "Donnie and Dhali: The Team", a sports talk show featuring Rick Dhaliwal and Don Taylor, Dhaliwal points out that the Leafs are among the several teams who are expected to be lined up for pending unrestricted free agent Dakota Joshua – who the Leafs drafted in the fifth round (128th overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
“No shortage of teams will be in on [Dakota] Joshua if hits July 1. I’m hearing double-digit teams, Don. A couple of teams going after Joshua are the Maple Leafs and the Blackhawks. I mentioned the Maple Leafs yesterday.”
On Wednesday, Dhaliwal mentioned how the Maple Leafs are a team that is predicted to take a look at both Nikita Zadorov and Joshua given what the club is in search of come April when the Stanley Cup Playoffs roll around – grit, intensity, and physicality.
“I will not be surprised if the Maple Leafs are a team that takes a long look at Zadorov and Joshua if they make it to July 1. Joshua is a player that teams are looking at right now and saying ‘We need that kind of guy in the playoffs’. I can’t tell you enough that if Joshua hits July 1, he’s going to have very good interest.”
Joshua is coming off a career year with the Vancouver Canucks, scoring career highs in goals (18), assists (14), and points (32) throughout 63 regular season games. The 28-year-old’s stellar play carried over to the postseason, scoring four goals paired with four assists and totaling eight points in 13 games.
Joshua spent time playing on both the second powerplay and penalty-killing units while being slotted in as a top-six forward. Now that he holds all the cards regarding his fate, he’ll be in pursuit of maximizing his value if he reaches the open market. According to AFP Analytics, they are predicting a four-year $13.05 million contract with a cap hit of $3.26 million a season for his services.
The Leafs, who have plenty of decisions to make on their end, are looking to add on all facets. Whether it be a big-named defenseman, a new-look goaltending tandem, or depth up front, they can afford to spend some money on some intriguing free agents like Joshua. With an estimated $19.7 million in cap room according to Puckpedia.com, add Joshua to the list of free agents the Leafs can be expected to pursue on July 1.
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