Dakota Joshua reflects on cancer battle and eyes redemption with Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of 2025–26 NHL season

After a challenging 2024–25 campaign marred by health issues and injury setbacks, Dakota Joshua is ready for a fresh start, this time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Traded from the Vancouver Canucks, the 29-year-old is eager to move forward from a season he calls a "setback," and he’s looking to make a meaningful impact on a team hungry to overcome its playoff struggles.

Dakota Joshua opens up on cancer diagnosis, injury setbacks, and mental resilience ahead of Maple Leafs debut

Joshua’s 2024–25 season was derailed before it began, as a testicular cancer diagnosis forced him to miss training camp and the opening stretch of the season. After returning to action, a lower-body injury sidelined him once again, ultimately limiting him to just 14 points in 57 games. In a recent interview on Leafs Morning Take, Joshua called the experience mentally and physically draining.“That was a tough situation to go through,” he said. “To go through that, especially after signing a new deal, was tough… It felt like I was playing catch-up the whole season.”Despite the hardship, Joshua said he’s grateful for the support he received and is focused on leaving that chapter behind. “I’m very happy and thankful to be in good health now and once again try to build my career and keep going.”

Maple Leafs reunion gives Dakota Joshua fresh opportunity, roster depth, and confidence boost for 2025–26 NHL season

The move to Toronto is also something of a full-circle moment for Joshua.

He was originally selected by the Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft but never played a game for them. His NHL breakthrough came with Vancouver, where he posted a career-best 32 points in 2023–24, earning a four-year, $3.25 million AAV contract.Now returning to the team that once drafted him, Joshua is ready to take on a key depth role. “Not just relying so much on the top-end guys… you need everybody,” he said of Toronto’s playoff ambitions. “I feel like for myself, adding to the depth of the team will help a lot.”Joshua credits his time in Vancouver with helping him find consistency and confidence in his game, saying he now understands what it takes to be an everyday NHL player.Dakota Joshua’s journey back to Toronto is more than just a trade, it’s a chance to reclaim momentum in his career. With renewed health, perspective, and purpose, he now looks to be a difference-maker for a Leafs team eager to end its postseason drought.FAQs:1. Was Dakota Joshua originally drafted by the Maple Leafs?Yes, he was drafted by Toronto in the fifth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.2. What happened to Dakota Joshua last season?He was diagnosed with cancer and missed time due to injury.Also Read: Connor McDavid contract update: Edmonton Oilers GM Stan Bowman ‘encouraged’ by early NHL extension talks with superstar forward