Report: Maple Leafs among teams Jonathan Toews willing to consider in return to NHL

Toews has also been linked to a potential homecoming tour with the Winnipeg Jets. He was previously linked to the Maple Leafs in January, after Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli listed the team as one of the clubs in contention to make a bid for Toews.

It’ll be compelling to see what the market will look like for Toews, who last played during the 2022-23 season. Toews recorded 15 goals and 31 points in his final season with the Chicago Blackhawks, while the team started accelerating their rebuilding process.

Toews revealed in June 2021 that he was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) which kept him out of the 2020-21 season. Following the 2022-23, Toews was adamant that he wasn’t retiring, rather that he was taking a break to focus on his health.

At this stage of his career, it’s unclear what Toews will be able to offer, several years removed from the NHL. In the prime of his career, Toews was one of the best defensive forwards of his generation and won three Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, recording 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 NHL games. It’s the only club Toews ever played for after being selected third overall in the 2006 NHL Draft.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving told reporters at his end-of-year media availability Thursday that there needs to be a change in his club’s DNA. Although it’s unclear what value Toews would provide at this stage of his career, he’s won several titles and could perhaps contribute in a fourth-line centre role as the Maple Leafs consider seismic changes to their roster.