Blade of Steel has no direct affiliation to the Toronto Maple Leafs, NHL or NHLPA
New Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Earns Peculiar Comparison to Zach Hyman
Photo credit: Imagn Images
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Dakota Joshua is looking to have a bounce-back season, and there are some analysts comparing him to a pretty solid goal-scorer.
Just a few weeks ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a trade with the Vancouver Canucks for forward Dakota Joshua, who dealt with a cancer diagnosis last season.
Overall, Joshua is expected to play on the team's third line, where he will get to play next to Nicolas Roy and winger Bobby McMann.
Joshua has the potential to score 20 goals this season, and there are plenty of fans out there who are rooting for him to have an exceptional year.
Dakota Joshua comared to Zach Hyman
Analyst Gregory Babinski of 6ixoneice is exceptionally high on Joshua and has even compared him to a former Leaf that fans will remember quite well.
That forward is none other than Zach Hyman, who went on to be a 50-goal scorer with the Edmonton Oilers. While even 20 goals is bold for Joshua, Babinski notes that the forward could be reaching the height of his powers soon.
Per Gregory Babinski:
It would be bold to project 20 goals or 40 points from Joshua this season, but clearly, his career arc shows a dedication to the game. Perhaps Joshua can follow in the footsteps of former Leaf Zach Hyman in a prolonged developmental curve.
The opportunity for more might exist with the Leafs as well. Coach Craig Berube clearly values having a blend of skills on each line, and finding a henchman for John Tavares' line seems paramount.
While his past usage would suggest that Joshua is more than capable of a checking role, he might be the Leafs best option for muscle alongside Tavares and, presumably, William Nylander.
If Joshua is willing to do the legwork and get to the net front, he might open up a lot of ice for Tavares and Nylander.
The opportunity for more might exist with the Leafs as well. Coach Craig Berube clearly values having a blend of skills on each line, and finding a henchman for John Tavares' line seems paramount.
While his past usage would suggest that Joshua is more than capable of a checking role, he might be the Leafs best option for muscle alongside Tavares and, presumably, William Nylander.
If Joshua is willing to do the legwork and get to the net front, he might open up a lot of ice for Tavares and Nylander.
If Joshua did become a Zach Hyman-lite, then that would be a huge win for the franchise, and fans would probably love that kind of outcome.
Overall, the Toronto Maple Leafs could use a huge injection of offense, and getting it from unlikely places would be even better.
Only time will tell whether or not Joshua can be the answer to the team's problems.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 7 | 136 ANSWERS New Toronto Maple Leafs Forward Earns Peculiar Comparison to Zach Hyman Do you believe Dakota Joshua is like Zach Hyman? | ||
| YES | 82 | 60.3 % |
| NO | 54 | 39.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
