Jonathan Toews last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 season, appearing in 53 games with the Chicago Blackhawks. Toews missed the past two seasons due to the lingering effects of long COVID. It isn’t the first time that an illness knocked him out for an extended period, as he also missed the 2020-21 season with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.
Toews has been training hard to make a triumphant return for the 2025-26 season. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion wants to end his playing career on his terms, and returning for at least one more season would be a good way to do it. The Colorado Avalanche are reportedly one very interested team, according to Pierre Lebrun.
The Winnipeg Jets seemed like an easy fit, as he would play with his hometown team for one last hurrah. The Jets also feel like they are a couple of pieces away from winning the Stanley Cup, and bringing in someone with Toews’ pedigree makes sense.
Another team that would make sense is the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they are searching for some championship pedigree to overcome the playoff success hump that has been unattainable for them for nearly a decade.
The Avalanche feels like somewhat of a surprise, but they really shouldn’t be. Colorado has one of the worst salary cap situations in the league, and they need to find players willing to accept low annual average contracts. They also have a desirable roster, considering they have perennial MVP candidates Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.
One last good story to come out of a Toews-Avalanche relationship would be him playing with Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche captain knows how Toews is feeling in his journey back to the NHL, as he just did it himself this past season when he returned after a three-year absence.
