Vancouver Canucks’ Dakota Joshua is built to be a playoff performer

When the postseason comes around, it is never a surprise to see an unheralded player step into the spotlight.

One of the big performers from Sunday’s slate of Stanley Cup Playoff action was Dakota Joshua of the Vancouver Canucks. In just his second playoff game of his career, the Dearborn, Michigan native scored twice, including the game-winning goal, registering an assist in the Canucks’ 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators in the opening game of the Pacific Division Semifinals.

Since signing as a free agent with Vancouver prior to the 2022-23 season, Joshua has grown to become a solid player with the ability to be a depth scorer. The 27-year-old is coming off a solid regular season where he registered career highs in goals (18), assists (14) and points (32).

At 6-foot-3, 206 pounds, Joshua has the ability to use his size to his advantage, making him a threat in all corners of the rink.

On Monday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Frank Seravalli and Tyler Yaremchuk explain why Joshua is going to be a key play for the Canucks’ success in these playoffs.

Tyler Yaremchuk: This guy has been awesome for them all year. If you’re going to go on a long playoff run, you need someone in the bottom of your lineup to come through, and be a hero for you, last night it was Joshua.

Frank Seravalli: I love everything about Dakota Joshua’s game. It screams playoffs to me. Big body, guy who was an absolute menace in the face of the Nashville Predators in Game 1, and he’s got tons of skill. JT Miller was saying after the game last night to us that he doesn’t think Dakota Joshua knows how good he is. He’s a guy this year who took a huge step forward, probably should’ve finished with 20 goals had he not missed 19 games this year…he’s just got that physical demeanor, ability to get in on the forecheck that makes him, I think, a really special player.

You can watch the full segment, and the entire episode here…