The Toronto Maple Leafs have another injury question hanging over camp, and this one comes without much of an answer.
On Monday, during practice ahead of the final stretch of preseason games, head coach Jim Hiller was asked about the players currently sidelined. Dakota Joshua’s name came up, and Hiller confirmed the 30-year-old winger is dealing with something, but he did not say what the issue is or when Joshua might be back.
That leaves the Leafs with an open-ended situation on a player who was a regular part of their depth forward group last season. Joshua appeared in 55 games, scored 10 goals and finished with 18 points while averaging 12:15 of ice time. He brought a hard-edged, physical presence to the bottom six after signing a three-year deal as an unrestricted free agent last summer.
The concern had already started to build when Joshua was absent from both of Toronto’s split-squad games against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. With the club dressing 40 total skaters across the two rosters, his omission stood out. After those games, Hiller said Joshua was “dealing with something,” but offered no details beyond that.
There still isn’t a clearer picture now. The team has not said whether this is an upper-body or lower-body issue, and there’s no timeline for his return. At this point, it’s even possible Joshua is not ready for opening night against Montreal on September 29.
His absence adds another layer to the Leafs’ injury picture. Max Domi is also out, and the sense is that his situation could keep him sidelined for a long time. That leaves Toronto without two regulars from last season as camp moves along.
The good news for the Leafs is that John Chayka added a lot of forward depth this offseason, which should help the team absorb Joshua’s absence if it lingers. Still, the combination of goals, grit and physicality he brings is not something Toronto will want to be without for long.
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