With last week’s trade that sent Dakota Joshua to the Toronto Maple Leafs for a fourth-round draft pick, the Vancouver Canucks now must re-imagine their depth chart without one of their biggest wingers.
In the next man up world of professional sports, Joshua’s departure presents an opportunity for others to step up. Here’s a list of the players most likely to benefit from Joshua moving to the Maple Leafs:

Drew O’Connor

The Joshua deal feels like it came with a baked-in promotion for Drew O’Connor. Like the player he’s replacing, the newcomer is a big-bodied, left-hand shot who skates well and kills penalties.
With Joshua in the fold, O’Connor may have been looking at starting his first full season in Vancouver in a fourth line capacity. But a path has now been cleared and a true opportunity has been presented for the Chatham, New Jersey native to play higher in the lineup. It remains to be seen if O’Connor can deliver more of a physical element to his game than he did in his 31 games after being acquired from Pittsburgh.
In his brief audition with the Canucks late last season, O’Connor scored four goals and added five assists while generating 35 shots on goal and 32 hits. The Canucks believe there is more to his game, as demonstrated two seasons ago when he scored 16 goals and produced 33 points and 160 shots.
While it remains to be seen where O’Connor will be slotted and who he’ll start the season with as linemates, there is no question that removing Dakota Joshua from the mix paves the way for O’Connor to play a bigger role with the Canucks than he did last season.

Nils Höglander

On paper, Nils Höglander was likely slotted higher than Joshua to begin next season. After Jake DeBrusk, Höglander appears to have the inside track on the second slot on the team’s left wing depth chart. Some of that, however, depends on where the Canucks utilize newly-acquired Evander Kane. For the sake of this argument, let’s say that Kane lines up on right wing, leaving Höglander to claim the second line spot on left wing to start the season.
However, inconsistency has plagued Höglander throughout his time in the NHL and had Joshua remained with the hockey club, it’s quite possible that he would have bumped the 24-year-old Swede at some point. But with Joshua jettisoned to Toronto, Höglander looks to have solidified his spot in the team’s top six – at least to start the season.
Of course, it will be up to him to make the most of the opportunity and regain the scoring form he showed with 24 goals in 2023-24. Still, with Joshua no longer here, it feels like the leash for Höglander just got a little bit longer. We won’t have to wait too long into the new season to see if new head coach Adam Foote agrees.

Linus Karlsson

While Linus Karlsson is a right-hander, he still stands to benefit from the departure of Dakota Joshua. Coming off an incredible AHL Playoff run in which he led Abbotsford with 14 goals and 26 points, Karlsson showed a remarkable ability to find loose pucks in and around the net. He’s got some edge to his game and has shown a willingness to use his size to win his share of board battles. He’s nowhere close to as accomplished at the NHL level as Joshua is, but it’s not out of the question that he could get there. And whether it’s on right wing or if he’s asked to slide over to the left side, Karlsson’s game shouldn’t change much.
After his AHL Playoff run, he also seems like a genuinely intriguing piece for the second unit power play. He seems to be pencilled into a spot on the NHL roster at this point, and with Joshua no longer in the picture, a player like Karlsson’s stock is surely on the rise. 

Arshdeep Bains

It feels like now or never for Arshdeep Bains to solidify himself as a full time NHL’er. He’ll turn 25 in January. He’s coming off a terrific Calder Cup playoff run in Abbotsford. He should have confidence as he arrives at training camp. And now, a legitimate opportunity has been presented on the left side with Joshua’s departure.
Bains has three seasons of professional hockey under his belt and has earned 21 NHL games over the past two years. He’s managed just a single point – his first NHL goal against Pittsburgh last October – in his brief time with the big league Canucks. While he won’t be counted on to produce big numbers in a bottom-six role, there still has to be more of an impact and scoring profile than he’s shown to this point. But Bains understands the landscape and has to see the opening in front of him. He should be as motivated as just about anyone at training camp in Penticton.

Max Sasson

Much like Bains, Max Sasson has to arrive at camp looking to seize the opportunity that exists. A natural centre, his best path to the big leagues may be as a winger who can slide to the middle in a pinch. Sasson’s speed is undeniable and could be the separating factor that allows him to earn a spot out of camp in September.
He certainly didn’t look out of place in the limited action he saw with the NHL Canucks last season. He managed a much better production rate than Bains, scoring three goals and seven points in 29 big league games. A smart player who may push for a look on the penalty kill through the preseason, Sasson has developed into a solid professional who can be trusted in all situations. That should serve him well as he tries to put his best foot forward in an effort to gain full time employment in Vancouver this fall.
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