Dakota Joshua could play his first game of the season Thursday against the New York Islanders (10 p.m. ET; SNP, MSGSN, MSGSN2) after being diagnosed with testicular cancer over the summer.
The 28-year-old forward had surgery in September and missed all of training camp. However, he remained with the team and has been training with his teammates for two weeks.
“There’s a good chance we’ll see Dakota in action on Thursday. It seems to be pointing in the right direction,” said coach Rick Tocchet.
Tocchet had opened the door to Joshua being sent to the American Hockey League for conditioning purposes, but he backtracked on Monday, confirming that his center would begin his season directly in the NHL.
“He looked very good on the ice, even in drills early this morning, he had very good hands around the net,” Tocchet noted. I think it’s better for me to play him, even if it’s only 10-12 minutes, than to send him down (to Abbotsford in the AHL). »
Joshua had 32 points (18 goals, 14 assists) with the Canucks last season – career highs – in 63 games. He added eight points (four goals, four assists) in 13 playoff games before Vancouver was eliminated in the second round by the Edmonton Oilers. On June 27, he signed a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million with the Canucks.
“He plays a lot of different roles, but I want to manage his minutes,” Tocchet said of Joshua, who last year played shorthanded and on the second wave of the power play.
In a statement released on September 17, Joshua explained his situation and expressed confidence in being able to return to action at some point this season.
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