Home town a perfect landing spot for Toews’ next chapter Winnipeg product would be a depth upgrade for Jets’ centre-ice position By: Ken Wiebe Posted: 5:37 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 2, 2025 Last Modified: 9:31 PM CDT Monday, Jun. 2, 2025 Updates

The Winnipeg Jets remain in the market to upgrade the centre-ice position and one of the most intriguing players that is available will be Jonathan Toews.

The pride of St. Vital recently made it clear through agent Pat Brisson that his healing journey has brought him to a place where an NHL comeback is something he plans to pursue this fall.

There’s no doubt whatsoever that the Jets will be among the teams interested in Toews’ services and given where they are in their competitive window, they absolutely should be.

Provided Toews can remain healthy after his excruciating battle with long COVID, he checks a lot of boxes for what the organization would be looking for.

Wherever Toews lands as an unrestricted free agent, his resumé speaks for itself.

For those who need a refresher, Toews is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and has appeared in more than 1,200 games when you include the regular season and the playoffs.

He’s been a highly-productive player since entering the NHL during the 2007-08 season with the Chicago Blackhawks and his leadership skills are legendary.

Toews is a winner who hates to lose and he’s someone who isn’t afraid of the bright lights or the big stage.

These are all qualities that would come in handy for an organization looking to take the next steps in pursuit of the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

With Luke Schenn the only player on the current roster who has been part of a Stanley Cup champion team, adding someone with three rings to go with an abundance of gold medals looks like a natural fit.

Back in January, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff held court with several reporters on a road trip, including colleague Mike McIntyre, and mentioned he had been in touch with Toews’ representatives.

“Knowing Jonathan and knowing what standard he holds himself to as an athlete, and what impact he wants to have in games when he plays, I think it will be an interesting journey to watch how things unfold with him.”– Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff

“He’s going to want to play to win. These guys don’t want to just say they want to play. He knows the standard he would have to be at, and we would certainly hope to be in that mix,” said Cheveldayoff. “Knowing Jonathan and knowing what standard he holds himself to as an athlete, and what impact he wants to have in games when he plays, I think it will be an interesting journey to watch how things unfold with him.

“Certainly if he’s progressing to that point in time, it would be a real welcome conversation to see if there’s a fit both ways. I think it would be a great story for his career, too. Not that he needs another story to his career. But I think he’s proud of his roots and would be an interesting fit.”

One of the most important factors for Toews in making his decision will be having the ability to play for a winner and the Jets would appear to fit that criteria.

Clearly, steps forward were taken by the Jets this past year, when they put together the best regular season since returning to the NHL in 2011 and captured the Presidents’ Trophy.

That the Jets were among the last eight teams standing reinforced that they were a legitimate contender, but by losing in six games to the Dallas Stars, it was clear the Jets still needed to upgrade the roster slightly to get over the hump.

Winning six playoff games was something the Jets hadn’t done since 2018 when they advanced to the Western Conference final and racked up nine of the 16 wins required to get your name etched on Lord Stanley’s silver chalice.

That progress is to be acknowledged and it will also serve as motivation moving forward.

Motivation is something Toews is never lacking and by having the game he loves taken away from him, there’s no way he would put himself through the physical and mental toll required if he didn’t think he could be an effective player.

Now, there’s no playbook when it comes to what Toews has battled through medically since taking his last shift during the 2022-23 season, when he was limited to 53 games.

“I think it would be a great story for his career, too. Not that he needs another story to his career. But I think he’s proud of his roots and would be an interesting fit.”– Kevin Cheveldayoff

The last time Toews appeared in the post-season was 2020, when he orchestrated an unlikely upset and the Blackhawks bounced the Edmonton Oilers in four games during the qualifying round.

Toews was the most effective player in all three zones in that series — which included two of the best players in the world in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Not only has Toews proven to be a clutch performer, both in the NHL and while suiting up for Canada on the international stage, he’s got a level of defensive awareness and competitive spirit that all teams are looking for.

Toews won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010 when the Blackhawks captured the first of three Cups in five years (2013, 2015) and he also won a Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the NHL in 2013.

It’s true that Father Time remains undefeated and that Toews turned 37 on April 29.

It’s also true that Brad Marchand of the Florida Panthers is 37 and has been a driver on a highly-effective third line as he prepares to suit up in the Stanley Cup this week, while Corey Perry of the Edmonton Oilers turned 40 last month and has seven goals and 10 points in 16 playoff games this spring while flourishing in the role of a complementary scorer and shift disturber.

So, while the examples of players making an impact in their late 30s and early 40s remains rare, bet against Toews at your own peril.

Toews doesn’t need to suit up for his hometown team to enhance his legacy, but for someone who helped the Blackhawks win a championship for the first time since 1961, it’s easy to see the appeal of joining a Jets’ team that could be knocking on the door.

It might just be the perfect landing spot for Toews to write the next chapter in his storied career and to eventually go out on his own terms.

For the Jets, bringing in someone with the pedigree of Toews makes a ton of sense, especially when you consider that captain Adam Lowry is expected to miss the start of the season after undergoing successful hip surgery last week.

Lowry’s absence means the Jets will have plenty of important minutes to distribute in the early stages of 2025-26, which should provide ample runway for Toews to show what type of role he’ll be able to handle.

Once Lowry is back to full speed, having him on a depth chart that features Mark Scheifele, Toews and/or Vladislav Namestnikov, Morgan Barron, Rasmus Kupari or David Gustafsson would provide an upgrade — with prospects Brayden Yager and Brad Lambert knocking on the door and looking for inclusion, provided they’re not playing on the wing instead.

The Jets already have a number of versatile guys that can either be used down the middle or on the wing, including Namestnikov, who has handled the bulk of the second-line centre responsibilities during the past two seasons when Sean Monahan wasn’t on the roster.

Signing Toews isn’t the only option the Jets are going to consider and it’s not a make-or-break situation if Captain Serious chooses to go in another direction, but signing him to a one or two year deal is something that could help provide a boost for what will be one of the most important off-seasons in franchise history for Cheveldayoff and his staff.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld