After learning on the weekend that key defenseman Chris Tanev could miss the rest of the regular season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have now gotten another unfortunate injury update.
Dakota Joshua did in fact suffer a lacerated kidney last week during a game on December 28th.
The Leafs say that Joshua will be out “long term”, but the original fears that his season could be done were unfounded. He is expected to make it back before the end of the 2025-26 campaign.
Joshua has had a disappointing first season in Toronto, after the team traded for him from the Vancouver Canucks this past summer. There were high expectations that he would be a physical force and a secondary scorer in the bottom six. But his six goals and 10 points in 36 games were not what the Leafs had in mind.
Joshua found the net 18 times in a breakout season two years ago with the Canucks. Injuries derailed him last season, but it was hoped he’d recapture that touch around the net this year. He has handed out 127 hits in those 36 games, but somehow, he just hasn’t had the overall impact that was expected.
Berube updates injury status on a handful of Leafs’ walking wounded
Head coach Craig Berube also offered a number of other injury updates on Monday on the Leafs’ walking wounded:
Most notably, William Nylander has been placed on IR, retroactive to December 27. He’s out day-to-day, but would be eligible to return when he’s ready.
Jake McCabe will be out for about a week. Fellow defenseman Brandon Carlo may be able to return on Tuesday after missing the last 23 games.
The team has also called up Marshall Rifai from the Marlies as a roster replacement for the Nylander IR move.
