The Vancouver Canucks will be getting an injection of size into their lineup in the coming weeks.
Dakota Joshua is nearly ready to return after offseason surgery for testicular cancer. The forward has recently started skating with the team again, although he is still wearing a non-contact jersey.
He’s expected to make his season debut in the next one-to-two weeks per Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.
Sounds like #Canucks Dakota Joshua is 1-2 weeks away from making his season debut for Vancouver.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) October 22, 2024
The 28-year-old revealed his testicular cancer diagnosis a few weeks before this season kicked off.
“This summer, I felt a lump on one of my testicles that doctors would later diagnose as testicular cancer,” read the statement from Joshua released by the team.
“This news was obviously scary to hear, but thankfully, doctors were able to successfully remove the tumour. The last several weeks have been extremely challenging and I’ve been fortunate to have the support of my family, friends, teammates, and doctors.”
Joshua had a breakout season last year and emerged as a key piece for the Canucks. He finished with 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in 63 regular season games. He then continued his strong play into the postseason and finished with eight points in 13 playoff games.
The American-native was rewarded this summer with a new four-year contract.
More to come…