The Vancouver Canucks will have a familiar face back in the lineup tonight as they host former captain Bo Horvat and the New York Islanders. Dakota Joshua will be making his season debut after missing the first 14 games due to surgery to remove testicular cancer. He was one their best players last season playing on a line with Conor Garland and Teddy Blueger and will be a welcome addition to a roster that is missing its top scorer in Brock Boeser. He might be load managed in this game playing on the fourth line with Nils Hoglander and Aatu Raty, but just having his big body and physicality (even if he doesn’t throw his weight around as much as he would in mid-season form) will make a difference in the bottom six.
Related: Projected Lineups for the Canucks vs Islanders – 11/14/24
“Just physically making sure you’re ready.”
🗣 Dakota Joshua meets with the media following Thursday’s morning skate.#Canucks | @theprovince pic.twitter.com/UTRu2VVlOx
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) November 14, 2024
Joshua had a career-high 18 goals in 2023-24 and was arguably the Canucks’ emotional leader throughout the season. He embodies the identity of the team and could be a second wave of physicality that has already been provided by new acquisition Kiefer Sherwood. While they won’t be playing on the same line in this game, it would be fun to see that in the future. I wouldn’t want to be on the ice with those two wrecking balls around, that’s for sure.
“It’s like making a major trade. He’s a big kid with good hands.”
With Joshua’s return, the Canucks only called up Raty and Jonathan Lekkerimaki from the American Hockey League (AHL) and left Arshdeep Bains in Abbotsford. They will only have Noah Juulsen as a healthy scratch with Boeser (upper body), Derek Forbort (lower body), and Thatcher Demko (lower body) still injured. Lekkerimaki will be playing his second NHL game after making his debut against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, and will still be on a line with J.T. Miller and Pius Suter.
