Canucks trade Dakota Joshua to Maple Leafs for draft pick

The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Dakota Joshua from the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday, exchanging him for a 2028 fourth-round pick. This move is part of the Maple Leafs' efforts to revamp their bottom-six forward lineup.

Dakota Joshua played for Vancouver for the past three seasons, achieving a career-high of 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games during the 2023-24 season. He faced challenges last season, including undergoing surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, but managed to score seven goals and 14 points in 57 games upon returning to the lineup in mid-November.

Canucks' General Manager Patrik Allvin praised Joshua's resilience in handling personal difficulties and wished him well in Toronto. Vancouver decided to trade Joshua to free up salary cap space as they plan for future roster moves this summer.

Joshua, a physical winger, joins Toronto alongside Nicolas Roy, who was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in a previous trade. The Maple Leafs recently traded Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Henry Thrun.

Originally drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2014, Joshua has experience playing under Toronto's current head coach Craig Berube during his time with the St. Louis Blues. This trade increases the likelihood of the Maple Leafs making further moves involving their forwards before the next season.

The Vancouver Canucks have been actively seeking to create salary cap room and successfully did so by trading Joshua to the Maple Leafs for a fourth-round pick in 2028. This trade gives Vancouver approximately $4 million in cap space to use during the offseason or upcoming season.

Vancouver's main focus with the freed-up cap space is to enhance their center position. While exploring options in the free agent market, the Canucks are particularly interested in strengthening their center-ice lineup. The trade involving Joshua was driven by Vancouver's strategic goal to improve at center and maintain flexibility for future opportunities.