Three-time Cup winner Jonathan Toews debuts at No. 8 on Top 50 Free Agents board

Three Stanley Cups. One Conn Smythe. One Selke Trophy. It’s not quite Michael Jordan’s agent sending out a fax with the words “I’m back,” in reference to his future career plans, but Pat Brisson signalling it’s full stream ahead on a comeback bid for a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in Jonathan Toews is definitely juicy.

Where will Toews land? How much will he earn? What can we reasonably expect in terms of production?

They are all fascinating questions with answers unclear even to teams pursuing the 37-year-old who has not played in two full seasons. Toews detailed his alternative healing journey in India in GQ Magazine.

Just about the only thing we know is that Toews will not be returning to the Chicago Blackhawks. We reported in December that Toews was back skating and had returned to his normal playing weight, with three teams to keep an eye on: the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and his hometown Winnipeg Jets. All three are in need of center depth and all three have legitimate claims as Stanley Cup contenders heading into next season.

But that was for an in-season comeback; more teams can be added to that list now in offseason mode. What about a reunion with Stan Bowman and the Edmonton Oilers? How about an inexpensive center addition to the Vegas Golden Knights? Could Jonathan Toews be a salary cap replacement for Matt Duchene with the Dallas Stars?

In his last season in Chicago, Toews put up 15 goals and 31 points in 53 games, another campaign marred by his body’s inability to perform with chronic immune response syndrome. Just that same production, three seasons later, would account for nearly 50 points in an 82-game season. What if his health has rebounded to a level where that is the minimum expectation?

The fun part is the pursuit of Toews can begin now. There’s no rush but he doesn’t need to wait until July 1 to sign for next season as he’s already a free agent. We’d expect that Toews will sign for a league-minimum salary of $775,000, plus games-played or point-based performance bonuses that he can earn that would not necessarily apply to a team’s salary cap next season. He would provide teams with a virtual no-risk, high-reward proposition.

For that reason, Toews will debut at No. 8 on our latest Top 50 Free Agent rankings. There’s been movement on the board, with Sam Bennett set to present his closing argument after making a strong case that he’s the No. 2 free agent on the market during these Stanley Cup playoffs.

Our friends at AFP Analytics nearly nailed another extension. They were projecting a two-year deal for Kyle Palmieri at $5.03 million and he landed at two years and $4.75 million to stay on Long Island, a deal in the drawer with Lou Lamoriello, which is why Palmieri was never on our board to begin with.

Daily Faceoff’s Top 50 Pending Free Agents for 2025

as of June 2, 2025