Leafs’ Dakota Joshua uncertain for opening night with unspecified injury
The Toronto Maple Leafs are just over a week away from dropping the puck on their 2026-27 season, and they might already be down one of their regular skaters for their season opener.
New head coach Jim Hiller shared with reporters, including Arun Srinivasan of The Leafs Nation, during his media availability on Monday that winger Dakota Joshua is dealing with an unspecified injury, and he did not provide any clarity as to whether or not Joshua will be ready for Opening Night.
Joshua joined the Leafs last season after establishing himself as a full-time NHL player across three seasons with the Vancouver Canucks. In 55 appearances last year, Joshua notched 10 goals and 8 assists for a total of 18 points.
To this point in training camp, Joshua has been skating on Toronto’s fourth forward line as the left winger alongside center Teddy Blueger and right winger Brandon Duhaime. Joshua is one of just two forwards in the Leafs’ current bottom six that held a full-time role with the team last season.
The third line is comprised of newcomers Colton Sissons and Nick Paul along with winger Easton Cowan, who notched 29 points in 66 games in his rookie season last year.
The Leafs’ opener will come on home ice next Tuesday night against their rival Montreal Canadiens, who are gunning to win the Atlantic Division after an impressive 2025-26 season that saw them reach the Eastern Conference Final.
Toronto is looking to kick off a new era with two points and a win after a miserable 2025-26 campaign that saw them miss the playoffs entirety and cost general manager Brad Treliving and previous head coach Craig Berube their respective jobs.
In addition to overhauling the bottom six this summer, new GM John Chayka made a big move between the crease by landing two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in unrestricted free agency.
