The Toronto Maple Leafs have an opening on the top line after Mitch Marner departed this offseason.
Toronto’s top line will feature Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, but who plays on the right side will be a camp competition. Max Domi and Mattias Maccelli are two names in the running for that role, but one analyst has a surprising name.
NHL analyst Thomas Williams of EditorInLeaf believes Toronto should use Dakota Joshua on the top line.
“Matthew Knies does a lot of similar things that Hyman did, but not everything,” Williams wote. “That is where someone especially like Joshua can come in and take that role, bash some bodies, and score some goals. Hyman’s best season for the Leafs was all the way back in 2018-19 where he scored 21 goals and earned 41 total points in 71 games…
“Can Joshua do exactly that? Maybe not perfectly or as consistently, but he already did something similar with his 2023-24 season, scoring 18 goals and 32 points in 63 games for the Vancouver Canucks while playing higher in the lineup than normal,” Williams added. “Isn’t completely out of the question for Joshua to potentially find some success next to Matthews this season. It all just depends how a trio of Knies, Matthews, and Joshua would work as a top line. It would certainly give some more soft skill for the rest of the Leafs’ lineup, that’s for sure.”
Joshua being on the top line would be a surprise, but as Williams notes, he could be a Zach Hyman type.
Joshua would be a net-front presence and could add some physicality to the top line. He recorded 7 goals and 7 assists for 14 points in 57 games last season.
Maple Leafs Coach Has Options for Top Line
Toronto will enter camp with a roster competition for the top right-wing spot.
Entering camp, Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube isn’t sure who exactly will replace Marner but he is excited for the depth the team added.
“Listen, he touched all areas of the game for us — penalty kill, power play, five on five. He’s a guy that’s hard to replace. You’re not replacing him,” Berube said to The Athletic. “But we brought in three new players — Roy, Joshua and Maccelli, all sorta different types of players — but I feel like we’re probably a deeper team, bringing in the three guys. We talk about replacing Mitch; that’s not what we’re trying to do. We’re just trying to improve our team in other ways by adding these players.”
Joshua is entering the second year of his four-year, $13 million deal with the Maple Leafs.
Joshua Eager to Play for Berube Again
After Joshua was traded to the Maple Leafs, he was excited about it as he’s reunited with Berube.
Joshua played for Berube with the Blues, and he says he likes the coach and playing for him.
“I spoke to him on the phone the other day,” Joshua said on Leafs Morning Take. “He’s a great guy and great coach. He was the one who kind of gave me my first shot in the league and I’ll forever be thankful to him for that. It was nice to see how he ran the team and obviously makes it that much more exciting to join and play for him again. Familiarity goes a long way.”
Joshua has skated in 241 career NHL games.
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