{"id":172,"date":"2025-06-20T20:46:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-20T20:46:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/172\/"},"modified":"2025-06-20T20:46:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-20T20:46:09","slug":"jonathan-toews-jets-agree-to-1-year-deal-why-winnipeg-and-whats-the-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/172\/","title":{"rendered":"Jonathan Toews, Jets agree to 1-year deal: Why Winnipeg, and what\u2019s the risk?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>By Sarah Jean Maher, Murat Ates and Scott Powers<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Jonathan Toews\u2019 NHL <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6189442\/2025\/03\/10\/jonathan-toews-nhl-comeback-blackhawks\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">comeback attempt<\/a> got all the more real on Friday as the 37-year-old centre and his hometown Winnipeg Jets have agreed to terms on a one-year deal, the club announced Friday. The deal will go into effect on July 1.<\/p>\n<p>The longtime Chicago Blackhawks captain hasn\u2019t played since April 2023. The Blackhawks opted not to re-sign him after the 2022-23 season, and Toews sat out the next two seasons. He also missed the 2020-21 season recovering from Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/4228470\/2023\/02\/19\/jonathan-toews-long-covid-health-update\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">symptoms of long COVID<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The contract is <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/reporterchris\/status\/1936087212480713003\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">heavy on bonuses<\/a>. A league source said the contract pays $2 million in base salary with another $5 million available in potential bonuses:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>$550,000 each for 20\/30\/40\/50\/60 games played<\/li>\n<li>$500,000 if the Jets make the playoffs and Toews plays 50 games<\/li>\n<li>$250,000 each for Round 1, Round 2 and Round 3 wins (with Toews playing 50 percent of games)<\/li>\n<li>$1 million for a Stanley Cup win (with Toews playing 50 percent of games)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cWe are excited to add a proven winner like Jonathan Toews to the Winnipeg Jets,\u201d said Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff. \u201cIt will be a unique opportunity for Jonathan to play for his hometown team. His talent, drive, and experience will be a great complement to our club. We will withhold further comment until July 1.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Toews told The Athletic in March he was seeking a return to the NHL: \u201cI want to go have fun, have a blast, play with passion. But at the same time, I still have some high-level hockey left. I want to be able to step away from the game having said that I\u2019ve given it my all. And I still think there\u2019s something left to give.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m grateful to be making my return to the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets,\u201d Toews said in a release. \u201cIt\u2019s very special to come home and play in front of my family and friends in Manitoba. The Jets have been on the rise over the last few seasons and I\u2019m eager to join the group and help however I can.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Toews played 15 seasons with the Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013 and 2015.<\/p>\n<p>Toews contracted COVID-19 in February 2020, before the pandemic erupted in the U.S., and his symptoms included fatigue, digestive issues, labored breathing, and his arms and legs feeling like lead weights. Toews\u2019 doctors labeled his mystery illness as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/2682532\/2021\/06\/30\/blackhawks-jonathan-toews-opens-up-about-the-longest-year-of-his-life-the-best-worst-thing-thats-ever-happened-to-me\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Chronic Immune Response Syndrome<\/a>, which cost him the entire 2020-21 season.<\/p>\n<p>Toews returned for the 2021-22 season and appeared in 71 games while adjusting to playing with his new health circumstances. The next season, he played 53 games before once again <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/2682532\/2021\/06\/30\/blackhawks-jonathan-toews-opens-up-about-the-longest-year-of-his-life-the-best-worst-thing-thats-ever-happened-to-me\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">shutting it down<\/a> due to his health.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe entire Blackhawks organization would like to congratulate Jonathan and welcome him back to the NHL,\u201d the Blackhawks <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NHLBlackhawks\/status\/1936108800068796443\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">wrote in a statement<\/a>. \u201cThe work he\u2019s done over the past two years to make his return is a testament to his resiliency and determination \u2013 the same qualities that our fans fell in love with and continue to define him as a player.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What it means for the Jets<\/p>\n<p>Winnipeg has been looking for a second-line centre for ages and has turned over plenty of rocks to do so. Toews gives them a homegrown bet with three Cup wins, one Conn Smythe Trophy, two Olympic gold medals, a ton of cachet and a sizable question mark as to just how good he can be at this stage of his career.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The kid from St. Vital is coming home. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/8Gh9EmziGQ\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/8Gh9EmziGQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLJets\/status\/1936072944494821386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">June 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>As a UFA, all Toews costs is cash, so Winnipeg\u2019s bet on him as a potential 2C \u2014 or as a third-line centre if the Jets run Adam Lowry\u2019s line as hard as they\u2019ve done for the past three seasons \u2014 is highly sensible. The Jets will be able to take a good, long look at Toews\u2019 ability ahead of the deadline before looking for any additional upgrades. And even if Toews struggles to make a top six impact, he\u2019s been such a strong faceoff performer throughout his career that he\u2019ll be dependable as a depth option who can be trusted for key defensive zone draws \u2014 something the Jets don\u2019t often trust their current 2C, Vladislav Namestnikov, to do.<\/p>\n<p>As long as Toews\u2019 health holds, that is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKnowing Jonathan and knowing what standard he holds himself to as an athlete, and what impact he wants to have in games when he plays, I think it will be an interesting journey to watch how things unfold with him,\u201d Cheveldayoff said prior to the trade deadline. \u201cI think it would be a great story for his career, too. Not that he needs another story to his career. But I think he\u2019s proud of his roots and would be an interesting fit.\u201d \u2014 Murat Ates, Jets beat writer<\/p>\n<p>What is the risk?<\/p>\n<p>One of the lessons we took away from Florida and Edmonton\u2019s success, specifically as it applies to Winnipeg, is that <a class=\"c-link c-link--underline\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6392173\/2025\/05\/31\/winnipeg-jets-stanley-cup-final-nhl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" data-stringify-link=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/athletic\/6392173\/2025\/05\/31\/winnipeg-jets-stanley-cup-final-nhl\/\" data-sk=\"tooltip_parent\">the Jets need to throw more darts<\/a> just like this one. What they\u2019ve added via Toews\u2019 commitment is the opportunity to fill a hole, with very little cost.<\/p>\n<p>If Toews\u2019 health fails him \u2014 or if, at 37, he\u2019s unable to achieve a level of play befitting the Jets\u2019 joy at signing him \u2014 the downside is limited. Pierre LeBrun reported his contract is expected to be one year in duration, limiting both sides\u2019 exposure to risk. It\u2019s likely it\u2019s a bonus-laden deal, which helps keep Winnipeg\u2019s expenditures in line with Toews\u2019 accomplishments, further mitigating the Jets\u2019 risk. \u2014 Ates<\/p>\n<p>Why not the Blackhawks?<\/p>\n<p>If Toews did ever return to the NHL, it was a safe bet he wouldn\u2019t be with the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks closed that door permanently \u2014 at least from an on-ice standpoint \u2014 at the end of the 2022-23 season.<\/p>\n<p>There was a sense Toews would have kept playing if the Blackhawks had re-signed him, but general manager Kyle Davidson was commencing a full rebuild, and that meant parting with Toews and Patrick Kane, who had been traded earlier that season.<\/p>\n<p>While Kane and Toews are expected to someday have statues outside the United Center, their returns as players would have to come with other teams. For Kane, it was the Detroit Red Wings. Now, for Toews, it\u2019ll be the Jets.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally happy for him,\u201d Kane told The Athletic in a text message. \u201cExcited he gets to experience something new and different. I know he\u2019s worked really hard to come back.\u201d \u2014 Scott Powers, Blackhawks beat writer<\/p>\n<p>What does Toews have left in the tank?<\/p>\n<p>Aside from not fitting the Blackhawks\u2019 rebuild timeline, Toews wasn\u2019t nearly the player he had built his career on in Chicago. Toews\u2019 game fell off over his last few seasons with the Blackhawks, and he wasn\u2019t nearly as productive and consistent or as much of a two-way player as he once was. Some of that has to do with his autoimmune issues and long COVID, but Father Time also appeared to catch up to him as he moved into his 30s. The Blackhawks\u2019 decline also corresponded with Toews\u2019. He could still be relied upon to win faceoffs and contribute on the power play and penalty kill, and would show glimpses of his old self, but his body just wouldn\u2019t allow him to reach the levels he once did consistently. \u2014 Powers<\/p>\n<p>How does this affect Winnipeg\u2019s plans?<\/p>\n<p>The immediate offshoot of Winnipeg earning Toews\u2019 commitment is that it\u2019s safe to assume the Jets will make their first-round pick at No. 28. The odds of them trading that pick were always low \u2014 although there was a good argument for them to try, if it led to a solid candidate to upgrade Winnipeg\u2019s top-six forward group. We\u2019ve seen the Jets trade their first-round pick several times for players who ultimately didn\u2019t sign in Winnipeg, most recently for Sean Monahan. We know they tried to do the same for Brock Nelson at the trade deadline. Toews\u2019 arrival gives the Jets enough short-term runway to hold on to draft capital, make their picks and assess their needs midseason instead of taking a bigger swing at a different second-line centre now.<\/p>\n<p>As for Nikolaj Ehlers, Toews accomplishes two things. The first is that it reaffirms the obvious: Winnipeg is doing what it can to win, maximizing a Stanley Cup window that depends on veteran players on the wrong side of 30. The second is less obvious: One of the reasons Winnipeg\u2019s \u201csecond line\u201d of Namestnikov, Ehlers and Cole Perfetti was often used as a third line was its lack of faceoff acumen. There were situations wherein coach Scott Arniel didn\u2019t trust Namestnikov to win a key faceoff, necessitating Lowry, Mark Scheifele or Winnipeg\u2019s fourth line to step in. Toews, if nothing else, is a faceoff star \u2014 someone who will earn his line extra shifts, whether he succeeds in the top six or not.<\/p>\n<p>Ehlers is still expected to explore the UFA market \u2014 and it\u2019s still expected that he finds opportunity, money and a city fit outside of Winnipeg \u2014 but the door is not slammed shut. \u2014 Ates<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 The Athletic\u2019s Chris Johnston contributed to this report.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">(Photo: Steph Chambers \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Sarah Jean Maher, Murat Ates and Scott Powers Jonathan Toews\u2019 NHL comeback attempt got all the more&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":173,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[291,293,62,67,132,68,292],"class_list":{"0":"post-172","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-chicago-blackhawks","9":"tag-nhl","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us","14":"tag-winnipeg-jets"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=172"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/172\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=172"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=172"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=172"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}