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A surprising team has just entered the Jonathan Toews sweepstakes
Photo credit: NHL.COM
A surprising team has entered the fold as a contender to sign Jonathan Toews, the former captain of the Chicago Blackhawks who hasn't played since April of 2023.
Former Chicago Blackhawks captain and 3x Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Toews has announced his intention through his agent Pat Brisson to return to the NHL, having last played in April 2023.
He was hampered by symptoms of Long COVID as well as a 2021 diagnosis of chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) that caused him to miss all of his team's games in 2020-21 which began in January.
Per Elliotte Friedman on a recent "32 Thoughts" podcast, he wondered aloud if the Anaheim Ducks would show interest in Toews.
The reports are out now that Jonathan Toews is going to do his comeback next year. I do wonder if Anaheim takes a shot at this. It makes a lot of sense.
One key factor that Toews could consider is that the Ducks are now coached by Joel Quenneville, who was his head coach with the Blackhawks for the majority of his time with the club.
The Ducks have also been listed as a team that could be in the sweepstakes for Mitch Marner, which would be a far longer and more expensive commitment.
A potential deal for Toews wouldn't be a long-term relationship between the sides, likely 1-2 years max with an AAV (average annual value) of around $1 million or slightly more or less.
Toews made it clear he didn't like how his playing career closed with Chicago in 2023:
I'm not satisfied the way things ended in Chicago. It's not about proving anything. It's just that there's something left in the tank and I want to explore that. I want to go have fun, have a blast, play with passion.
But at the same time, I still have some high-level hockey left. I want to be able to step away from the game having said that I've given it my all. And I still think there's something left to give.
But at the same time, I still have some high-level hockey left. I want to be able to step away from the game having said that I've given it my all. And I still think there's something left to give.
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