Photo: Kevin Neufeld | Inside The Rink
There’s no denying that the Boston Bruins’ biggest need is a top-six center. Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle have been great since the departures of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, but this glaring omission reared its ugly head once again this postseason as Zacha and Coyle combined for just two goals in 13 playoff games. Without a top center, it will be very difficult for the Bruins to compete for the Stanley Cup again. This Cup Final between Edmonton and Florida is a harsh reminder of that reality, with world-class talents Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sascha Barkov and Sam Bennett all first-round draft picks who are rated as very promising prospects when they enter the NHL.
Related article: Boston Bruins may turn to old friend on trade market
A quality center is expensive, but Boston may not be able to pay it in the offseason. If general manager Don Sweeney is forced to change course, burly forward Dakota Joshua could be the center. The 28-year-old Joshua played 63 regular season games with the Vancouver Canucks this season, scoring 18 goals, 14 assists and earning a plus-19 rating. But the most attractive part of Joshua may be his physical strength, which earned him 245 hits on the year. In the postseason, Joshua recorded four goals, four assists and 74 hits in 13 games. His time on the ice also increased to about 16 minutes per game in the playoffs.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound centre was a fifth-round draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2014 and played collegiate hockey at Ohio State University. On July 12, 2019, Joshua was traded to St. Louis and played two seasons with the Blues, totalling four goals in 42 games. In 2022, the Dearborn, Michigan native signed with the Canucks as a free agent and played two full seasons there, improving his stats.
Related article: 5 Boston Bruins prospects who could be in the lineup next season
Joshua’s salary cap hit has been just under $800,000 the past two seasons, and he’s hoping for a raise. If the Bruins can sign Joshua for under $3 million, they could find a valuable player. His tough-hitting style would make him an instant hit with Boston fans. It would also not benefit Joshua to play in a third-line center role, even though he has the physical ability to score 20 goals and change the dynamics of the team.
