Maple Leafs Assign Dakota Joshua On LTIR Conditioning Stint

The Toronto Maple Leafs are less than a week away from returning a bottom-six forward. According to the AHL transactions log, the Maple Leafs have assigned Dakota Joshua to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint.

Per the conditioning loan rules, Joshua can spend up to six days or play in three games with the Marlies, whichever comes first. However, with mutual agreement between Toronto and Joshua, the conditioning stint can be extended for two additional games.

Joshua, 30, will begin his second season with the Maple Leafs after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. He is in the third season of a four-year, $13MM ($3.25MM AAV) contract signed in 2024.

Unfortunately, the uber-physical forward has continued his struggles with injuries in Toronto. During the 2023-24 campaign, Joshua missed nearly 20 games due to a hand injury. The following season, Joshua faced a battle with testicular cancer and a severe leg injury, limiting him to 57 games.

Last season, his first with the Maple Leafs, Joshua finished with 10 goals and 18 points in 55 games with a -2 rating, averaging 12:15 of ice time per game. A lacerated kidney in December cost him 19 contests.

Approaching the 2026-27 season, Joshua suffered an abdominal injury, forcing him to miss Toronto’s first 10 contests at a minimum. Still, despite missing 74 games since the start of the 2022-23 season, Joshua has racked up 855 hits. He’s an important piece for the Maple Leafs’ lineup whenever he is available.

If he stays healthy through the rest of the season, and that’s a big if, Joshua will likely lead Toronto in hits despite Colton Sissons having an eight-game head start. Ahead of their upcoming game against the New York Islanders, the Maple Leafs rank 20th in the league in hits. Additionally, Toronto has contributed to 45.56% of the physicality in their games, ranking 25th in the league.