Jonathan Toews’ last NHL game was April 13, 2023. After two full NHL seasons away from hockey, he is looking to make a return to the NHL. Toews stepped away from the NHL after suffering from chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS). A condition that causes fatigue, weakness, flu-like symptoms, exhaustion, insomnia, and sensitivity to the environment. Toews also missed over two months during the 2022-23 season, due to the effects of long COVID-19. Toews spent time in India doing what he called a “healing journey,” and now is fully committed to making a return to the NHL.
There is no doubt that Jonathan Toews is a winner. The former captain of the Chicago Blackhawks played 1,067 career NHL games. He has managed to capture 3 Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy (playoff MVP), and a Selke Trophy awarded to the NHL’s best defensive forward. Toews also won two Olympic gold medals, in 2010 in Vancouver and in 2014 in Sochi.
Toews reached career highs in the 2018-19 season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Playing 82 games Toews had 35 goals and 46 assists for 81 points.
In contrast, however, Toews’ worst statistical season came in 2022-23, when he last played in the NHL. In 53 games, Toews had 15 goals and 16 assists for 31 points. His health issues no doubt played a role in his production.
Why the Bruins Should sign Toews
The Bruins need a captain. Most Bruins fans would cherish the return of Brad Marchand and gladly give him back the “C.” However, given his recent success with the Florida Panthers and failure to reach a deal with the Bruins before being traded, a return seems unlikely. Even if Toews is not named captain, his leadership qualities will be a welcome addition to this young roster, and he can show the younger players what it takes to win.
At this point in his career, Toews would fit nicely into a middle-six role with the Bruins. He could provide a similar role on this team to Nick Foligno, now with Chicago, from a few years ago. Another comparison would be Jordan Staal, currently on the Carolina Hurricanes. Both players are captains of their respective teams and provide leadership and defensive play. He can be a leader and a great defensive forward who can occasionally chip in on offense.
The Bruins are at a stage where they need to rebuild their identity and bring back a winning culture to the team. Having a winner like Toews as part of your leadership core is only going to strengthen the roster and pull the team in the right direction. This move would also take some pressure off the still young leadership core of David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, and Jeremy Swayman.
So, if the Bruins are looking to add a player who has veteran leadership, knows how to win, and is used to playing at a high level, Toews could be a great fit for this team.
Why the Bruins should not sign Toews
Although Toews makes sense from a leadership perspective, he has not played hockey in over 2 years. Toews is 37 years old, and although he is healthy enough to return to the NHL, he may have lost a step in the process. The Bruins could decide that they would rather focus on developing their young players, saving their cap space for resigning players like Morgan Geekie, and bolstering their roster in trades or free agency.
Should Jonathan Toews be the next captain of the Boston Bruins?
Not if the Bruins are content with their leadership core. David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy are the two most likely candidates for the next captaincy. They are the assistant captains and may be ready to lead this team into its next chapter. They have been around for the Bergeron and Chara era and have been part of great teams. The Bruins may feel their leadership core is already solid. Although Toews’ could be a nice additive piece to this core, his value on the ice is questionable, and may be too much of a risk for a team trying to turn around quickly.
Toews also may want to join a Cup contender. Toews cares about winning and may want to get back to the playoffs to compete for a Stanley Cup. Aspirations that, as of right now, are not in Boston’s immediate future. Toews may look to other teams for that reason.
How the Bruins could approach Toews
If the Bruins decided to sign Toews, they could offer something that a contender may not, a contract term. If the Bruins could sign Toews to a reasonable AAV, they may want to consider giving him a 2–3 year deal. Given his 2-year gap from professional hockey, a team tight against the salary cap ceiling may not give him more than a one-year deal. Those teams may want to see if Toews can still play at this level before committing to him for more years. But since the Bruins are looking at a 2-3 year retool, they could afford to commit to more term.
The Bruins have over $26 million in cap space for next season. A fair offer would be somewhere around 2 years with $3-4 million AAV. The Bruins can bring in Toews primarily as a leader and a middle-six center. Alongside the current leadership group, he can help facilitate a new culture on a young and inexperienced roster. This leaves enough cap space for the Bruins to go after some bigger assets.
The Bruins could even give Toews more years in exchange for a lower AAV. For Toews, it’s a guarantee that he will play in the NHL for a few more seasons, and the Bruins could save cap space. At worst, the Bruins could trade Toews, with his contract term, for more draft capital.
Signing Toews could be a low-risk and high-reward situation for the Bruins. If Toews can stay healthy and the Bruins can give him a reasonable contract, it could be what this team needs. He has a proven track record of success in the NHL, and even if he's not what he once was on the ice, he could be an asset to this team, finding a new identity going into next season.