Considering this seems to happen nearly every year, Joker must be putting in the work during the off season and come off very well in practice.
Feels like every may/june, the general vibe is "eh, just trade him" and every October he starts out on the top pairing. There are plenty of very hardworking/skilled guys who simply don't have the aptitude to play big roles during a long season. Kind of feels like Joker has earned some playtime and leash and will likely lose it over the course of the season.