Joshua looks to be physical, 'make an impact' at Prospects Challenge

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Capitals' Tom Wilson is often referred to as a "hockey unicorn."

He's a rarity. There just isn't anyone in the NHL today with his combination of size, (6-4, 220), physicality, an intimidation factor, and the ability to actually play skilled hockey -- he's no goon. 

In speaking with prospects, it's also pretty uncommon for Wilson to be a player that a prospect names as someone he tries to emulate or model his game after. If a prospect does have that size, physicality and intimidation in his game -- which alone is pretty rare -- then he typically doesn't have a ton of skill or offensive production to go along with it.

The closest thing the Penguins have in the system to a Wilson-type of player is Jagger Joshua, an AHL-contracted left wing signed out of Michigan State last spring who will be attending the Prospects Challenge in Buffalo, N.Y. this week.

Joshua, 24, has the size. At Michigan State he was listed at 6 foot 3, 210 pounds and is still focused on getting stronger. He's physical, gets under the skin of opponents, and occasionally pushes the boundaries for what's a clean hit -- he was a minute shy of leading all of college hockey in penalty minutes last season with 92 in 37 games, totals bolstered by two 10-minute misconducts for hits. But Joshua also plays a skilled game, and played on the top line, power play and penalty kill at Michigan State last season. His 24 points (13 goals, 11 assists) finished No. 4 on the team in scoring. Seven of those goals came on the power play -- a team-high -- and were often a result from his success at the net-front on the man advantage.

"I like to think of myself as a power forward with net-front skill," Joshua told me after a prospects practice at the Lemieux Complex on Thursday before the team departed for Buffalo. "Hard on the forecheck. I like to finish my checks and be physical, so that's definitely something to expect from me, a hard-hitting game. Just being hard to play against and adding a little bit of skill in that too."

Given Joshua's skillset, it's no surprise who he tries to model his game after.

"I like Tom Wilson," Joshua said. "He's one of my favorites, the way he plays I try to emulate my game after his and the way he plays -- physical and he skill in his game, too. I don't know if I'm quite the heavyweight yet like him, but definitely somebody that plays with a little bit of an edge."

Joshua said that he's always had that physicality element in his game, and it's something he enjoys. As a sophomore he told Michigan State's athletics website, "I love hitting people. There's definitely something about contact that I definitely enjoy. I take pride in it. I don't think about it, I just go out and do it.''

Jagger Joshua with Michigan State.

MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS

Joshua earned a two-year AHL contract with Wilkes-Barre in March after the conclusion of his senior season, a deal that kicks in this season. He was able to finish the AHL season in Wilkes-Barre on an amateur tryout contract, and appeared in seven games down the last stretch of the season. He didn't record any points in that stint, but he left a good impression on his head coach, J.D. Forrest.

"I thought he did a great job of adjusting to the American League," Forrest said.  "For him, it's more about playing with continual pace. He's a big guy, he plays a real hard game, he gets to the net. So we want to see that more and more. And then just as he picks up some pace, can he keep up with it? We think he can. So I'm interested to see after offseason work where he's at with that."

Joshua called that adjustment to pro hockey a "big change," and something that gave him a good idea of "what I'm getting myself into." Some of that was off the ice, and getting a feel of what it's like to have the freedom that comes with living as a pro compared to college. But it also gave him an opportunity to see how he stacks up against other professional players, and learn what he needs to work on over the offseason. Like most players making the jump to pro hockey, the speed of the game was what Joshua said was the biggest adjustment for him. 

Just being around professional players gave Joshua the opportunity to look around and see how he compares size-wise, too. In college, he was noticeably one of the much bigger and stronger players. He's still got good size at this level, but he remembers looking around and seeing that there are other players who look pretty close to the way he does. So that led to a summer in the weight room, focusing on getting bigger and stronger. He worked on lower-body strength especially, in an effort to bolster the speed he knows he needs to make it to the next level.

The Prospects Challenge in Buffalo that starts Friday is just exhibition, but it has some high stakes for these guys. It's a competitive environment, and it's an opportunity to show their games to coaches and members of management like Kyle Dubas and Jason Spezza, who will make the trip out to Buffalo too. Joshua is focused on just playing his game and keeping moving in these games.

"I think if I move my feet that's always something that's in the back of my head that if I move my feet I can make an impact," Joshua said. "Just being physical, being myself and I think I'll stand out."

Joshua said that he isn't going to be quite so focused on getting under the skin of opponents in these games, noting that it's summer hockey and he's more focused on his own game. But he wouldn't be surprised if some opponents get a little agitated, either.

"I think inevitably in my game, it's probably going to make some people mad," he said. "I'm sure there will be a couple of people ticked off. It's not necessarily something I focus on, but it comes with the territory."

Wilkes-Barre is going to have a pretty strong forward group heading into the season, a result of a commitment to depth made by the front office this summer. Joshua will have to work hard to earn his minutes in his first professional season. That day-to-day improvement is his biggest focus as he prepares for the season.

"I just want to get better every day and I want to be a better hockey player than I was this summer," he said. "It's easy to look at stats and say you want to get a certain amount of goals or something like that, but I just want to get better each and every day. And I think if I do that, good things will happen."

MICHIGAN STATE ATHLETICS

Jagger Joshua with Michigan State.

A full preview and schedule for the Penguins in the Prospects Challenge can be found here.