It will be a little while longer before the Vancouver Canucks return to full strength.
Head coach Rick Tocchet said Wednesday that forward Dakota Joshua is unlikely to play in Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings, while defenceman Derek Forbort is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
Joshua, 28, had been sidelined indefinitely as he recovers from testicular cancer, but has been skating with the team for the past two weeks.
The Dearborn, Mich., native went public with his diagnosis on Sept. 17 in an effort to raise awareness about men’s health and to encourage men to get themselves checked.
“You know, kind of something that you can’t really be prepared for. But the support from my family, friends, the fans, the organization as a whole, everybody’s been so nice and, you know, very caring, which I love to see,” Joshua told reporters last week, per Sportsnet’s Iain MacIntyre. “It made the tough time a lot easier.”
Joshua re-signed with the Canucks to a four-year, $13 million contract after cementing himself as an NHL regular in Vancouver. He particularly thrived under Tocchet, notching career-highs in goals (18) and assists (14) in 2023-24 and finished the season plus-19.
Forbort, 32, had recently re-joined the Canucks after a personal absence. The Athletic’s Harman Dayal reported Monday that the Duluth, Minn., native left practice early and appeared to favour his right leg.
A veteran of exactly 500 career NHL games, Forbort spent the previous three seasons with the Boston Bruins before landing a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Canucks in the off-season.
In four games with Vancouver, Forbort has one assist.