Rick Tocchet Reveals What the Maple Leafs Will Get From Dakota Joshua
Photo credit: Hockey Patrol
Philadelphia Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet gave Maple Leafs fans some insight into what to expect from Dakota Joshua after coaching him in Vancouver.
Of all the new faces that came into the Toronto Maple Leafs this past offseason, a lot of attention has been drawn to power forward Dakota Joshua. A fairly underrated player, he's the perfect type to bring into a Craig Berube lineup which makes sense given he helped kickstart his career.
Expected to be a punishing physical presence with some offensive chops to boot, he is likely glued to the third line alongside newcomers Nic Roy and Matias Maccelli until further notice.
Dakota Joshua 'Hell of a Trade' for Maple Leafs
There's a lot to be excited about with his game, and his former coach decided to give fans a sneak peek into what they can expect.
Current Philadelphia Flyers head coach and former Vancouver Canucks bench boss Rick Tocchet was a guest during the Canucks/Avalanche preseason game and talked highly of Joshua during the broadcast:
You're getting a motivated guy, last year didn't go well for a lot of reasons behind the 8-ball obviously with the cancer, had some issues with his hips and didn't get on track.
I love Dak; I really appreciate him he's a pleasure to coach, the mental part got to him last year because he couldn't do what he wanted to do.
I think he had a great summer and him healthy; you're talking about a guy who can hold onto pucks, a guy around the net has great hands.
He fits Chief's system where he can grab some pucks around that area and he's a top-5 penalty killer; last minutes of the game he was always out there when you had to protect a lead too. I think we were so successful with that third line because of him.
It's a great trade for Toronto and if he finds his game it's a hell of a piece for Toronto.
I love Dak; I really appreciate him he's a pleasure to coach, the mental part got to him last year because he couldn't do what he wanted to do.
I think he had a great summer and him healthy; you're talking about a guy who can hold onto pucks, a guy around the net has great hands.
He fits Chief's system where he can grab some pucks around that area and he's a top-5 penalty killer; last minutes of the game he was always out there when you had to protect a lead too. I think we were so successful with that third line because of him.
It's a great trade for Toronto and if he finds his game it's a hell of a piece for Toronto.
That's huge praise from Tocchet, who isn't one to give anyone a break much like Berube; so it's great to hear that the team was able to bring in such a solid piece on the cheap.
What Dakota Joshua Can Bring To Craig Berube's Lineup
Taking a look at the obvious, first and foremost he is going to bring the punishment. A known bruiser, Joshua is going to hit everything that moves and his combined 660 hits over the last three seasons is just a taste of what we can expect.
But in addition to that physical play comes a quietly underrated goal scorer who posted 18 goals in 2023-24, while also playing above average defense, and being clutch with 5 game-winners.
With Roy patrolling center; a playmaking though defensively savvy player, and Matias Maccelli; a passing wizard with exceptional hands, there's a strong chance that if Joshua crashes the net and gets in close, he can find a ton of rebounds or high-danger chances.
13 of his 18 goals in 2023-24 came within 12-15 feet of the crease, and when he was shooting he was deadly, ranking in the 99th percentile with a 29.6% shooting percentage.
Toronto isn't just getting a guy who can score a bit and throw hits, they are getting one of the best physical players in the league, who has an innate ability to score when it matters most.
He's the type of player the Maple Leafs have desperately sought out for their third line, and while they gave him away for nothing before, you can bet they will do whatever they can to hold onto him this time around.
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