There’s no question about it: Jonathan Toews will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he retires. But if it’s that cut-and-dry, why would NHL teams be hesitant to sign him to a league-minimum deal?
Let’s get into it.
Meet Jonathan Toews
Toews, 37, is a three-time Stanley Cup champion — all as the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks. In 2010, he became the second-youngest captain ever to hoist the Cup, behind only Sidney Crosby, who set the record the previous year.
In 1,067 NHL games, Toews has 372 goals and 883 points. In addition to his three Stanley Cup rings, his trophy case includes:
- A Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP
- A Selke Trophy as two-way player of the year
- A Mark Messier Leadership Award
- 2 Olympic gold medals
- 2 World Junior gold medals
- A World Cup gold medal
- A World Championship gold medal
- A World Championship silver medal
He’s a member of the Triple Gold Club and he’s been named to the second NHL All-Star team, the Olympic All-Star team, the World Junior All-Star team, the NCAA All-American team and was named the best forward at the 2010 Olympics.
In 2017, the NHL commemorated its 100th anniversary by naming the 100 greatest players of all time. Toews was on that list.
That’s all to say that “Captain Serious” is an extraordinary hockey player who knows how to win.
Jonathan Toews’ injury
Toews sat out three of the last five seasons with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, which he has battled, in one form or another, since his teenage years.
In November, he took to Instagram to share his healing journey, which included a trip to India where he underwent Panchakarma — a detoxification process which, he says, Indians have used for 5,000 years.
In an interview with GQ, he acknowledged that many would be skeptical of that type of treatment, but he says it worked for him to fix his longstanding health issues.
In late May, his agent, Pat Brisson, told NHL.com that Toews feels ready to make his NHL comeback.
The case for signing Jonathan Toews
Toews’ experience and leadership could be invaluable to a young team, even if he’s no longer the player he once was.
“Jonathan’s the ultimate leader,” said former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman, with whom Toews won the Stanley Cup thrice. “He’s the engine that makes our team go. He leads by example.”
Even at his peak, Toews was never a 100-point scorer. In fact, his only point-per-game year was the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season. The team that signs him this summer won’t expect him to solve all their offensive woes.
He’s a defensive specialist, which is a role even a 37-year-old can successfully fill on a contending team.
Toews is also a magician in the face-off circle. From the start of his NHL career (2007) to his last game (2023), he ranks fourth in face-off win percentage among players who took 1,000 or more draws. That’s a skill every team can get better at.
We’ll get into his reported contract specifications in a minute, but suffice it to say now that he won’t be emptying anyone’s bank account on this deal.
The case against signing Jonathan Toews
Many question how much Toews has left in the tank.
He hasn’t played in more than two years, and his last couple of seasons were good but not outstanding. There aren’t a ton of players his age in the NHL, either, given how fast-paced the game has become.
How much money is Jonathan Toews asking for?
Toews’ career earnings to date are in excess of $120 million, but don’t expect his next contract to be worth anything close to the $10.5 million average annual value of his last deal.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli said this week that he expects Toews to sign a one-year, league-minimum contract full of performance bonuses — a luxury that his particular status affords him.
If that’s true, signing him is as risk-free as it gets.
Bonus-structured contracts are similar to those pay-for-what-you-use phone plans. The bonuses can be offered for playing a certain amount of games, achieving certain point thresholds, etc. If Toews doesn’t play to negotiated levels, he doesn’t get that extra dough.
In the instance that he hits every bonus, it can still be advantageous to a contending team in the sense that the extra money gets tacked onto the following season’s cap. That means the team can exceed the salary cap next year in hopes of making a good playoff run.
If Toews’ return is unsuccessful for any reason, the team is out a handful of pocket change and a sliver of cap space — no more than Robert Bortuzzo received last year for his 17 games of service.
Max Pacioretty, whose situation is similar to that of Toews, signed one of these deals with the Toronto Maple Leafs last year. He got a bonus of $313,115 for playing 10 games and another of the same amount for playing 35.
Interesting note: Since Toews didn’t have a contract at all last season, he’s eligible to sign at any time. He doesn’t have to wait until July 1 like everyone else.
Should the Utah Mammoth target Jonathan Toews?
Few teams would benefit more from Toews’ leadership than the Utah Mammoth. Having a presence like his, both on and off the ice, can really help the young players learn what to do in every situation.
He’s comparable, in some ways, to Logan Cooley, and therefore could help Cooley take the next step in his development. Both Toews and Cooley were third overall picks, both are praised for their two-way games and both tend to be serious and focused.
In terms of roster fit, Toews is probably versatile enough to play up and down Utah’s lineup — not unlike Alexander Kerfoot. If injuries open a top-six spot, Toews shouldn’t be too out of place filling the gap. If you need him to hold down the fourth line, he’s not going to complain about his ice time.
Toews is a natural center, but don’t take that to mean he can’t play the wing if necessary. In fact, most of Utah’s bottom-six forwards played center on previous teams. There’s only room for a few of them to play that position, so some guys have to adjust.
Another interesting note: If Toews were to sign in Utah, he wouldn’t be the first in his family to play pro hockey in the state. His younger brother, David Toews, played two games for the Utah Grizzlies in 2013.
Why would Jonathan Toews want to sign in Utah?
Toews has already done more winning than the average NHL player could ever dream of. It’s not to say he won’t want to win again, but it seems like this comeback is about more than that.
Toews has something to prove.
Yes, he could sign in Toronto, Colorado, Winnipeg or with any of the other contenders that are rumored to be interested in him, but his odds at making an impact for those teams are much slimmer than they would be on an up-and-coming team like Utah.
Again, he wouldn’t likely play on Utah’s top line, but he’d have less risk of having to eat press box popcorn there than he would with a juggernaut.