Dakota Joshua has been a different player for Vancouver Canucks since 4 Nations break
It hasn’t been an easy season for Vancouver Canucks winger Dakota Joshua.
He was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the summer, which threw a wrench in his offseason training plans. As a result, he didn’t make his debut until November 14 and struggled to get up to speed.
He has just 11 points through 49 games this year. That’s far behind last season’s production when he scored a career-best 18 goals and 32 points, establishing himself as a breakout star.
“He’s just one second slow everywhere while last year he was on top of his game,” said Rick Tocchet today. “Can [he] find that second tonight? I think this [past] road trip, there were some games there, I felt he was a little quicker in his decisions, and that’s what we’re trying to get him to do.”
Since returning from the 4 Nations break, the 28-year-old has displayed steady signs of progress, which Tocchet is picking up on. Joshua’s got three points in his last six games and has been much more noticeable on the forecheck.
The numbers back up Joshua’s revival. After scoring five points in his first 30 games, he’s got six in his last 19. He averaged 0.53 shots per game before the 4 Nations and has averaged 1.21 in the time since.
“It’s been better, obviously,” said Joshua about the state of his game. “Still, this year hasn’t gone the way I would’ve wanted it to go. With that being said, there’s eight games left here to go out on a high note… I like the way I’m going; I’ve just got to find a way to keep improving and being good for us every night.”
This is the first season of a new four-year extension Joshua signed last summer. The contract carries an average annual value of $3.25 million, and while his early season struggles may have caused some concern, his recent play shows he can get back to being the player he was last season.
Joshua finding chemistry with an unlikely pair
After spending much of last season stapled to the same line as Conor Garland, Joshua has bounced around the lineup this year. Recently, he’s been playing with Kiefer Sherwood and Aatu RĂ€ty. The trio has found some chemistry, and Tocchet leaned on them in crucial situations during the latest road trip.
“Three guys who like to get in on the forecheck and get after it,” said Joshua. “Obviously being said, not too many games together, so we’ve got to find that consistency, keep it going, but great two players to play with.”
“That was a positive line for us,” added Tocchet. “I’ve been playing that line, taking draws in our own end, some minutes where we really need them to go against a top line. That’s a big thing for me if I can have that line play against top lines.”
The Canucks are in a playoff race, and while their chances are looking bleak, there’s still hope. They’ll need players like Joshua to be on top of their game in the stretch run if they want to pull off the improbable.