Jonathan Toews has just officially revealed several teams he'd be willing to make his NHL return with
Photo credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Jonathan Toews is a three-time Stanley Cup winner, a Selke-Trophy winner, and has been a Captain for an original-six team. A resume like that is bound to garner some interest.
For
Toews, his intention to return to the NHL has been announced, and while we haven't heard news lately of where he could land next, we have a good idea of several teams who could use his talents.
The thirty-seven-year-old is set to make a return to the NHL, where he helped build a dynasty with the Blackhawks.
The excitement should continue to rise as we get closer and closer to free agency, and according to
the latest report from Sportsnet, Toews is willing to lace them up with several teams.
Toews himself is a Winnipeg-born NHLer, so it seems like it should be a given he'd be interested in playing for his hometown team, given they're now Stanley Cup contenders. The team is desperate for help down the middle, as they only have
Mark Scheifele and will be without
Adam Lowry for a significant period of time this season.
While it's doubtful he'd be able to fill the 2C role, a role in limited usage and could lineup behind Scheifele until Lowry returns to health, or the team acquires a true 2C.
The Ducks seem like an outlier, but with the hiring of Head Coach Joel Quenneville, it seems apt to list them here. They believe they're poised for a trip to the playoffs, and adding Toews might help with leadership and give them a shot at the postseason as they're in on Rangers forward
Chris Kreider.
Adding Toews would give them more veteran leadership and depth down the middle, should they move on from
Trevor Zegras.
Wild GM Bill Guerin is hunting for a skater to lineup behind Center Joel Eriksson-Ek, and losing out on
Brock Nelson, a Minnesota-born NHLer, means they'll have to pivot. With
David Jiricek and
Zeev Buium simmering in the AHL, they could make some moves to bolster the lineup.
Toews could be that answer down the middle, as they could move on from RFA
Marco Rossi.
Toews has a step ahead of other NHLers who won't play in Montreal. He can speak French, and as a former member of an Original Six team in Chicago, he could add the Canadiens to his already impressive resume.
The Canadiens made the playoffs this season, and without
Kirby Dach at 2C due to injuries, Toews could be the answer the team needs.
GM Brad Treliving has built an interesting squad in Toronto. But it wasn't good enough to take out the Panthers in the 2nd-round this season.
If the team moves on from
John Tavares, they could look at other options available down the middle, and Toews could be an affordable option.
Could he be the DNA change the team needs to help shake up the roster and deliver a Stanley Cup to the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The Boston Bruins would be a surprising team to be in on Toews, as they've begun to sell off their best assets in order to rebuild.
The addition of Marco Sturm as Head Coach and
David Pastrnak as their best player doesn't inspire confidence. While Toews could add this experience as another trip in another Original Six uniform, he won't go cup hunting here, and Don Sweeney isn't a great GM.
Toews would be an easy fix to the
Elias Lindholm saga, but the lineup itself is broken by trades and attrition.
Toews seems like a player who a contending team in the NHL would want on their lineup as a depth addition. With Lou Lamoriello out of the job, the team no longer collects veterans like infinity stones.
They could make it work with $20 million in cap space. With the absence of Brock Nelson in the lineup, Toews could be the answer down the middle behind
Bo Horvat or JG Pageau on the third line. Toews could be a mentor here in New York, with
Calum Ritchie picking his brain for knowledge from one of the best centers in the league.
A cup-run here is out of the question.
Previously on HawksInsider
POLL |
JUIN 12 | 571 ANSWERS Jonathan Toews has just officially revealed several teams he'd be willing to make his NHL return with Who should center Jonathan Toews sign with for the 2025-2026 NHL season? |
Winnipeg Jets | 281 | 49.2 % |
Boston Bruins | 48 | 8.4 % |
Minnesota Wild | 37 | 6.5 % |
Toronto Maple Leafs | 205 | 35.9 % |
List of polls |