Imminent decision for Jonathan Toews on where he signs!

Veteran forward and free agent Jonathan Toews has committed to coming back to the NHL next season and we are apparently going to find out real soon where he will play.

Toews, whose recovery started with a trip to India where he underwent “an Ayurvedic detox called a Panchakarma”, has been training hard to return to the NHL . In 2022-23, he played out the last of an eight-year, $84 million contract he signed with the Blackhawks in 2014 that carried an AAV of $10.5 million, after missing the 2020-21 bubble season while recovering from COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome. He was then informed by general manager Kyle Davidson prior to the team’s final game of the season that he would not be re-signed. In August of 2023, Toews announced that he was stepping away from hockey “to give myself the time and space to fully heal and enjoy life to the fullest once again.”

While we know the return won’t be with the Blackhawks, many suitors are believed to be in the mix, including the Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs who have expressed interest in Toews.

The veteran star forward is not eligible to sign a new contract until July 1, but according to TFP’s David Pagnotta, Toews and his agent Pat Brisson are expected to make a decision by this month’s NHL Draft.

Toews’ camp remains fully engaged in contract discussions with teams, but it sounds like we will soon find out where the former Hawks captain will play next. He will more than likely ink a short-term contract, likely one-year, with a slew of bonuses.

Toews would be a tremendous addition to any NHL roster with his Stanley Cup three times (2010, 2013, 2015) he won with the Blackhawks. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2009-10 and the Frank Selke Trophy in 2013. He has played his entire career with the Blackhawks after he was selected third overall by the club in the 2006 NHL Draft. He recorded a total of 372 goals and 511 assists over 1,067 games.