Maple Leafs Could Target Jonathan Toews to Bolster Centre Depth – The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

The Toronto Maple Leafs have made it clear in recent weeks that they would prefer to add a centre in hopes of allowing John Tavares to move to the wing. While there have also been reports that the team would prefer to add a player with term left on their contract, rather than bring in a rental, there are still many options around the league the team could consider. One player who could be a surprise addition would be veteran forward Jonathan Toews, who is expected to try and make a comeback to resume playing after dealing with health issues that derailed his NHL career. As mentioned by pundit Frank Seravalli, the Maple Leafs could be a team that shows interest in Toews when he’s finally ready to sign with a new team. 

Related: Insider Believes Maple Leafs Targeting Centre Via Trade

Seravalli also mentioned the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche as teams to look out for but noted that there will be more teams that reach out in hopes of signing the former Stanley Cup champion, explaining:

“… I’m going to give you three teams to keep an eye on if Jonathan Toews does decide to make it come back bid. One of them is the Toronto Maple Leafs. A third-line center has been on Brad Treliving’s wish list all season long. The other would be the Winnipeg Jets, the hometown team for Jonathan Toews. And, the third would be the Colorado Avalanche, in desperate need of another center.”

Toews, who is 36 years old, hasn’t played since the 2022-23 season when he played with the Chicago Blackhawks. During that campaign, he scored 15 goals and added 16 assists for 31 points through 53 games before ultimately stepping away to focus on his health. He was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS) and missed the entire 2020-21 season because of it. He opened up recently about his healing trip to India where he spent five weeks to help his body reset so he could try to resume his professional career.

Toews’ Fit With Maple Leafs

Toews may be a bit slower than what fans remember if he returns, but he had established himself as one of the strongest two-way forwards in the NHL before stepping away from the game. Throughout his career, he has scored 372 goals and added 511 assists for 883 points through 1067 games which comes out to a 0.83 points-per-game average. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and a six-time All-Star. He won the Frank J. Selke Award in 2013, the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015, and the Conn Smythe trophy in 2010.

If the Maple Leafs chose to move Tavares to the wing and were able to bring Toews in, he could fit right in as a middle-six forward. He would be the ideal second-line centre but could also make sense playing on their third line to spread out their forward depth. For a team in need of veteran playoff experience, as they try to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967, he would be the perfect addition and would be cost-effective, likely signing for close to minimum on a one-year deal.

At the end of the day, signing Toews comes with a risk because of how much time he has spent away from the game. However, if he can provide strength as a two-way forward, he deserves an opportunity and the Maple Leafs should be all over trying to bring him in. Hopefully, the Maple Leafs can sign Toews and have him in their lineup this season to help them make a deep run into the postseason.

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