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Jonathan Toews

Free Agent Notes: Toews, Compher, Predators

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There will be many free agents that sign within the opening few hours of free agency next Saturday if things play out as they usually do.  However, don’t expect Jonathan Toews to be one of them.  His agent Pat Brisson told Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli that the veteran will not be among those signing when the market opens up as he has yet to decide if he’ll continue playing.  Toews, a veteran of 15 seasons with Chicago, has battled Chronic Immune Response Syndrome in recent years, missing all of 2020-21 plus another extended IR stint this past season.  It was announced previously that he won’t be back with the Blackhawks so Toews will need to decide if he wants to stick it out and try to go somewhere where he’ll have a shot at winning a Stanley Cup or if the time is right to call it a career.  That choice won’t come in the next week.

More free agent news and notes:

  • Even though the Avalanche picked up Ryan Johansen earlier today, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that they haven’t closed the door on re-signing J.T. Compher just yet. The 28-year-old had a career season, picking up 52 points while logging over 20 minutes a night which has him well-positioned to earn a nice raise on the $3.5MM he made on his set-to-expire contract.  The Avs have some flexibility to try to bring him back but if he’s looking for top dollar, it might not make much sense for Colorado to re-sign Compher, especially knowing that Devon Toews is a year away from needing a significant raise of his own.
  • In a recent appearance on 102.5 The Game (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman relayed that none of Nashville’s pending restricted free agents appear to be on the front burner right now. Center Cody Glass and defenseman Alexandre Carrier are the two notable ones for the Predators that have arbitration rights and the filing deadline is July 5th.  Accordingly, while incoming GM Barry Trotz might not be focusing on those two just yet, some discussions for those players will need to be held relatively soon.

West Notes: Toews, Keller, Brown

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As the Chicago Blackhawks get set to welcome the new face of their franchise, Connor Bedard, at the draft later this month, they’re also preparing to say goodbye to the face of their most successful era in franchise history: Jonathan Toews. As we have previously covered, Toews is expected to make an announcement in the next few weeks regarding whether he’ll be retiring on choosing another team to sign with, and given Toews’ recent health issues it would be no surprise to see the Selke and Conn Smythe Trophy winner hang up his skates.

But if he does choose to continue playing, he could go the way of another famous Blackhawk, Duncan Keith, and choose to play for the Edmonton Oilers. Sportsnet’s Mark Spector connects Toews to the Oilers, writing that “there is some talk” in Edmonton about signing Toews to be the team’s fourth-line center, allowing recent signing Derek Ryan to take a preferred role as a right winger. In scoring 15 goals and 31 points this past season Toews showed he was still very much a valuable NHL player, but the main question for Edmonton would be availability and cost. Regardless, it seems should Toews continue his career the Oilers could be a team interested in acquiring him.

Some other notes from the Western Conference:

  • While the Arizona Coyotes rebuild will continue into the future and the team will likely be open to hearing trade offers for its established players, the player teams are likely to be most interested in is also the one seemingly least likely to be traded. Bally Sports Midwest’s Andy Strickland reports that the Coyotes aren’t “looking to move” star forward Clayton Keller and that they don’t have “any real interest” in parting with their franchise face. Keller, 24, continued his breakout season from 2021-22 into this campaign, finishing with 37 goals and 86 points in 82 games. He’s signed to a bargain $7.15MM AAV deal through the 2027-28 season, and according to Strickland’s report he’s unlikely to be on the move anytime soon.
  • One player who is going to be on the move is St. Louis Blues center Logan Brown. Eligible to become a restricted free agent, Strickland reports that Brown won’t receive a qualifying offer from the Blues and will therefore become an unrestricted free agent at the start of the new league year. The 25-year-old 2016 11th-overall pick didn’t quite take the step forward in St. Louis that many might have hoped he would, and while he remains an effective AHLer he hasn’t found a way to leverage his combination of size and skill to reliably make an impact at the NHL level. With his time in St. Louis coming to an end, he’ll hit the open market where there will likely be some teams interested in seeing what their staff can do with Brown’s skillset.

Blackhawks Notes: Toews, Draft Picks, UFAs, Goalies

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Aside from drafting their next franchise center at the end of the month, the biggest storyline in the Chicago Blackhawks’ offseason is what the future holds for his predecessor, captain Jonathan Toews. A return to the Blackhawks has seemed very unlikely for some time, given how the end of the season went. Still, speculation around a return, given the impending entrance of Connor Bedard, has been a topic of discussion.

According to The Athletic’s Scott Powers, Toews is expected to be announced in the coming weeks to announce a decision regarding retirement or a potential move to another team in free agency. Toews, 35, took a leave of absence prior to the 2020-2021 season due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, which, along with some effects of long COVID, caused him to miss a stretch of games near the end of 2022-23 as well.

Should Toews choose to hang up his skates, it would mark the end of a notable career that includes three Stanley Cup championships and numerous accolades but a debatable reputation as a captain stemming from the sexual assault scandal that occurred during the team’s 2010 championship run. After completing his eight-year, $84MM contract extension signed in 2014, Toews will surely generate some interest from teams looking to fill out their middle six if he does decide to try and extend his career.

More from Powers on the Blackhawks this morning:

  • In regards to their second first-round pick in the upcoming draft, 19th overall, the Blackhawks have a handful of players they’re hoping will still be available to them – and they’re likely to select a second forward to supplement Bedard. Among the prospects at the scouting combine, forwards Colby Barlow, Oliver Moore, Calum Ritchie, Matthew Wood, and Brayden Yager are potential options for the Blackhawks. Additionally, the team has shown interest in 6-foot-5 Russian forward Daniil But, and general manager Kyle Davidson expressed a lack of hesitancy to Powers around selecting Russian players in this year’s draft. Looking ahead to the team’s four second-round picks, goaltender Adam Gajan, forwards Otto Stenberg and Bradly Nadeau, as well as defensemen Oliver Bonk and Andrew Strathmann are potential considerations for the Blackhawks.
  • The Chicago Blackhawks have made their decision regarding pending unrestricted free agents, says Powers, signaling that after re-signing Andreas Athanasiou, the team is unlikely to bring back any of their other UFAs. Players such as Jujhar Khaira and Alex Stalock, among a few others, will explore options elsewhere as the Blackhawks prioritize their roster composition to provide opportunities for younger players and build out some higher-end support for Bedard via free agency.
  • Davidson also indicated to Powers that Arvid Soderblöm and Petr Mrazek are expected to form the team’s NHL goaltending tandem for the upcoming season. Speaking about the young goalies, Davidson emphasized Soderblöm’s potential and the development aspect of their decision-making process so as to not rush their other prospects. Soderblöm, who has already spent time as a North American pro (and played pro in Europe), holds an experience advantage over other prospects like Jaxson Stauber and Drew Commesso.

Chicago Blackhawks Will Not Re-Sign Jonathan Toews

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Tonight will be the last game of Jonathan Toews’ Chicago Blackhawks career. General manager Kyle Davidson officially announced that the captain would not be re-signed, releasing the following statement:

I’ve had a number of conversations with Jonathan throughout the season about his future with the Blackhawks, and recently, we had the difficult conversation that we won’t be re-signing him this offseason. Tonight will be his final game as a Blackhawk, and it was very important to us to be able to provide the proper send off for Jonathan and our fans.

He has done so much for this organization, and no matter where he plays next, we’re excited our fans get the chance to show Jonathan exactly how much he means to them. 

After the last few years have brought the departure of Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, and most recently, Patrick Kane, Toews was the final piece standing from the core that brought three Stanley Cup championships to Chicago.

While his game has deteriorated in recent years, Toews was, at one point, considered one of the greatest two-way centers in history. He won the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP at age-22, was a Selke Trophy finalist four times (winning once), and was included as part of the NHL’s 100 Greatest Players in 2017.

With career-highs of 35 goals and 81 points (both reached in 2018-19), his offensive game was never the reason for excellence in Chicago. Instead, a commitment to defense and a reputation as one of the best leaders in the sport drove his greatness for the Blackhawks. He would routinely tilt the ice in his team’s favor by controlling play, and was captain of one of the most dominant groups in recent NHL history.

Toews’ eight-year, $84MM contract will expire at the end of this season, and it is unclear what the future will bring for the veteran center. He’ll be 35 before the month is up, and has been limited by serious health issues the last few years. Toews missed all of 2020-21 with Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and was kept out of the lineup this year with it again.

Limited to just 14 goals and 30 points in 52 games, it would have been difficult to work out a soft landing like the one Davidson found Kane at the deadline. Those numbers, and recent health issues will likely limit the market for him this summer, though if he wants to continue playing, teams should be willing to give the Blackhawks legend a chance.

This is the last symbolic move for Chicago away from the old regime. Davidson will now have a relatively clean slate to build a team, though it may still be several years until he can put together a competitive group.

Just two players—Seth Jones and Connor Murphy—are signed to one-way contracts past 2023-24, giving Davidson a blank canvas to work with. Even next year, the team has only $37.3MM in salary commitments, meaning there will be plenty of cap space to try and coax extra assets out of contenders.

It’s been a difficult season for Blackhawks fans, watching the team tank and trade away one of the greatest offensive talents in NHL history. Now, they’ll be forced to say goodbye to the last part of the previous era, and look forward to whatever comes next.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Jonathan Toews Undecided On Playing Future

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It was suggested last month that Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews was leaning towards retirement as he continues to battle lingering symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome.  However, the veteran told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (subscription link) that he remains unsure of his playing future at this point:

Right now, you ask me that question and the honest answer is, I got no idea. No idea whether I return to play for the Blackhawks next year, or play for another team, or I decide to move on to other things.

The 34-year-old was able to return to the lineup last Saturday after missing more than two months due to the symptoms which took away any possibility of Toews being moved at the trade deadline.

To his credit, Toews has had a decent season given the circumstances as he has 14 goals and 16 assists in 49 games so far.  While those numbers are certainly below his career averages, they’re still pretty strong for a player on a bad team playing through lingering challenges.

But the key word here for Toews is lingering.  These symptoms cost him all of 2020-21 and had him at far from his best last season.  The fact they continue to exist in 2023 suggests this will continue to be a challenge for him; he acknowledged that he hasn’t truly been 100% healthy since 2020.  Knowing that, is it worth trying to carry on?  That’s the decision he’ll be weighing over the next little while:

But at this point, I’ve realized there’s no point in continuing to stomach this struggle. So if it’s not a hell yeah, then it’s a hell no.  There’s more to life than hockey, so it’s a weighing of my options and what feels right,” he said. “All these years, hockey’s been the One Thing. There hasn’t been much else in my life. And part of me is seeking some balance. So I guess we’ll see.

Toews, a 15-year veteran, has spent the entirety of his career with Chicago after being the third-overall selection back in 2006 and ranks fifth in games played and sixth in points.  It’ll take a little before he decides if he tries to move up higher on those leaderboards or if the time is right to hang up his skates.

Jonathan Toews To Return To Chicago Blackhawks Lineup

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On March 28th, we covered reports stating that Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews was attempting to make a comeback from the injuries that sidelined him indefinitely earlier this year in order to play some more games before the end of this season.

With Toews reportedly considering retirement, it seemed as though he may have a desire to have a final send-off from Blackhawks fans, similar to the one Carey Price received last season after making his way back from significant health-related challenges.

With the Blackhawks set to take on the New Jersey Devils in a nationally-televised home game tomorrow, it seems Toews will get his wish. Chicago head coach Luke Richardson told the media, including NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis, that Toews will play in Saturday’s game. It will be Toews’ 47th game of his season, and his first since late January.

In February, Toews issued a statement detailing some of the health-related challenges he was facing, challenges that were seriously threatening his ability to play. In that statement, he disclosed that he was “still dealing with the symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome,” and that he had “reached the point where [he] had no choice but to step back and concentrate on getting healthy.”

Thankfully, today’s announcement indicates that Toews’ health has improved since that point, which even putting aside any hockey-related considerations is news to celebrate.

From an on-the-ice perspective, Toews’ improved health also means a great deal to the Blackhawks. While the team is currently in prime contention to earn the best odds for the upcoming draft lottery, Toews’ return isn’t about giving the team a better chance of winning some of the few games they have left this season.

Instead, Toews’ return injects some much-needed meaning and significance to what remains of the Blackhawks’ season, as it could be Blackhawks fans’ final few chances to see a franchise icon take the United Center ice.

So while Blackhawks fans and the Chicago market overall remain wholly fixated on the future and the players who might enter the organization in the coming months, Toews’ return serves as an important opportunity for the organization to celebrate its past, and potentially say an official goodbye to the leader of the most successful era in Blackhawks history.

Evening Notes: Senators, Toews, Hall

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TSN Insider Chris Johnston is reporting that an interesting detail has emerged in the sale process for the Ottawa Senators. Johnston says that the Algonquins of Ontario are part of the First Nations group bidding on the Senators, and they currently have a land claim on the piece of property at LeBreton Flats that could be the future site of the next Ottawa Senators arena.

LeBreton Flats is the property in downtown Ottawa that has long been discussed as the most desirable spot to put the Senators next building. The land is currently run federally, meaning that should the First Nations group win the bidding for the Senators, some interesting opportunities could open up. Graham Robertson and the group he is partnered with met with Senators management today and remain in pursuit of the club in what is now the second phase of the sale process.

In other news around the NHL:

  • Chris Johnston is also reporting that Jonathan Toews is attempting to make a comeback this season for the Chicago Blackhawks. Toews is an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and has hinted at retirement as he has dealt with several health issues the past few seasons. Toews has played just 46 games this season, but has been effective when in the lineup with 28 points. Should Toews be able to dress for Chicago it would be an uplifting story to end what has been an otherwise nightmarish season for both player and team. Chicago is mired in one of its worst seasons in decades as they begin what is sure to be a painful rebuild over the next few seasons. For Toews, he would get what is likely to be a final send off after an era of Chicago hockey that saw the captain raise the Stanley Cup on three separate occasions.
  • An interesting conundrum is developing with the Boston Bruins as Taylor Hall is getting closer to returning from injury. Hall has already been skating with Boston for a few days and TSN Insider Darren Dreger has said that sources indicate he is close to a return. The issue is that the Bruins don’t have any cap space for Hall to get back into the lineup. Boston loaded up at the trade deadline with the additions of Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway and have precious little cap space left to facilitate Hall’s return to the ice. This is sure to be an something to keep an eye on these next few days, and it is something other teams will certainly take notice of as we are less than three weeks away from the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs, a time in which Boston no longer must be salary cap compliant.

Snapshots: Talbot, Toews, Reilly, Lalonde

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The Senators should be getting some help between the pipes soon as Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Cam Talbot is expected to return to the lineup sometime this week.  He has been out for the last three weeks due to an oblique muscle injury.  The 35-year-old has a 2.85 GAA and a .905 SV% in 32 games this season, numbers that aren’t the greatest but at the moment, Ottawa is trying to hang in the race for a Wild Card spot in the East with rookies Mads Sogaard and Dylan Ferguson.  Accordingly, getting Talbot back should give them a boost for the final few games.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has been out for nearly two months due to symptoms from long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome but hasn’t given up on returning this season. To that end, head coach Luke Richardson told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic (Twitter link) that the center has been skating in an effort to get back before the end of the campaign.  There was a recent report that Toews may be considering retirement and if that’s true, that could be fueling his desire to get back for the final few games.
  • Bruins defenseman Mike Reilly suffered a serious injury in the minors today, one that saw him knocked unconscious and stretchered off the ice. Fortunately, AHL Providence announced after the game (Twitter link) that he is alert, conscious, and able to walk around.  The veteran has spent the bulk of the year in the minors but is likely to be a Black Ace recall at some point in Boston’s playoff run.
  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve reassigned goaltender Nolan Lalonde from OHL Erie to AHL Cleveland. The 19-year-old signed with Columbus as an undrafted free agent in October but had a tough year in junior, posting a 4.09 GAA along with a .868 SV% in 41 games with the Otters.  With Jon Gillies being recalled today and Daniil Tarasov being injured in Cleveland’s game today, Lalonde could have a path to make his pro debut fairly soon.

Jonathan Toews Reportedly Considering Retirement

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Many expected that this season was supposed to be Jonathan Toews’ final one with Chicago.  However, it appears it might be his final one altogether as John Dietz of The Daily Herald reports that the veteran is believed to be seriously considering retiring at the end of this season.

Toews has been dealing with both long-COVID symptoms as well as Chronic Immune Response Syndrome with the pair of ailments causing him to miss the entire 2020-21 campaign.  While he was able to play a regular role last season and through the first half of this one, the 34-year-old hasn’t played since late January.  Last month, he released a statement acknowledging that he is still dealing with symptoms from both issues which took away any possibility of him being moved at the trade deadline.  At this point, he hasn’t been ruled out for the season and Dietz notes that he has been around the team regularly over the last couple of weeks.

But even if Toews is able to return down the stretch, the lingering effects of these ailments appear to be likely to continue beyond this year which will present some complications for him moving forward if he opts to instead try to play next season.  He turns 35 next month which would make him eligible for an incentive-based deal as long as it’s a one-year agreement which would give whoever signed him a chance to tie part of his compensation to games played.  At this point in his career, is that really the best route for him to go?  It appears that Toews is at least pondering that question as he considers his future.

He has spent his entire 15-year career with the Blackhawks, ranking sixth in franchise history in goals (371), eighth in assists (509), and sixth in points (880) while sitting fifth in games played.  Of course, he also helped lead them to three Stanley Cups in 2010, 2013, and 2015 and regardless of what decision he makes (retire or try to play next season), Toews is a franchise icon in Chicago.  Unfortunately, it appears as if there’s a legitimate possibility that he won’t be able to end his time with them – and perhaps his career – the way he wanted to.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Central Notes: Toews, Seguin, Foligno

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As the season ticks away, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews remains away from game action. Head coach Luke Richardson told reporters today that Toews’ activity has been limited to gym workouts, and the team still doesn’t have a timeline on his return to the ice from general illness that’s kept him out since the All-Star break.

With every day that passes, speculation increases that Toews has played his last game of the season — and potentially his career. Chronic immune response syndrome kept Toews sidelined for the shortened 2020-21 season. He told fans in a statement last month that those symptoms, along with those of long COVID, are impeding his ability to play effectively. In their captain’s absence, the team is 7-9-2.

Other notes on some Central Division injuries:

  • The Athletic’s Joe Smith says not to expect an update on Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno today. Foligno left yesterday’s game with a lower-body injury, and the team could provide an update at practice tomorrow. While he hasn’t missed an extended period of time this season, he has suffered multiple minor injuries. To make matters more concerning, CapFriendly lists Foligno’s current absence as his third lower-body injury in the span of a month. Expectedly so, the 31-year-old’s offense has taken a step back with six goals and 19 points in 53 games, down from a career-high 23 goals and 42 points last year.
  • Dallas Stars senior staff writer Mike Heika reports that center Tyler Seguin is not currently with the team after sustaining a laceration to his left leg in last week’s 10-4 win against Buffalo. However, it’s a possibility he rejoins the team on their current road trip. Seguin is listed as day-to-day, and the team has four more games remaining on a Pacific Northwest swing.

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