Blackhawks' captain Jonathan Toews: Long-term rebuild 'doesn't sound appealing to me at all'

As captain, Jonathan Toews has helped lead the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups over his 14-year NHL career. 

Though, as the team heads toward a full-on rebuild led by general manager Kyle Davidson, Toews' future with the only club he's ever known is up in the air. 

"At the end of the day, we're talking about a five-plus year process, according to Kyle," Toews told The Athletic's Mark Lazerus. "So that part of it doesn't sound appealing to me at all. I can't speak for Kaner, but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining." 

The 34-year-old Toews had the worst statistical season of his career with the Blackhawks, finishing with a career-low of 37 points (12 goals, 25 assists) in 71 games. 

Toews has one year remaining on an eight-year, $84 million contract. He'll make a base salary of $2.9 million in 2022-23 before becoming an unrestricted free agent. 

Like Toews, longtime teammate Patrick Kane is also in limbo due to the team's current direction. Last week, TSN's Darren Dreger reported that Kane's camp was still "undecided" about his future with the club. 

Kane finished with 92 points (26 goals, 66 assists) in 78 games for Chicago last season. The 15-year Blackhawks forward has one year remaining on an eight-year, $84 million contract. He'll make $2.9 million in 2022-23 and become a free agent ahead of the 2023-24 season. 

The Blackhawks signaled a rebuild after missing the postseason for the second consecutive season last year and the fourth time over the previous five seasons. And the purge has already begun in Chicago. Earlier this offseason, the Blackhawks traded away young stars Kirby Dach and Alex DeBrincat.