The Winnipeg Jets reportedly have interest in three-time Stanley Cup winner Jonathan Toews should he decide to pick up where he left off in the NHL.
Toews, 36, has been forthcoming about his battle with long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome.
While working to get himself back, the Winnipeg product has begun skating again, and consequently, he's left the door open for a potential return.
A homecoming to Winnipeg would go a long way toward completing the storyline of one of the most iconic careers in recent NHL history.
The Jets are having a great season at 32-14-3, good for first in the Western Conference, and sit just four points back of the league-leading Washington Capitals.
And with images of a deep playoff run dancing in their brains, there's little doubt Winnipeg will add pieces at the trade deadline, and Toews' experience and skillset could be invaluable.
The 6-foot-2 center spent 15 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring 372 goals and 883 points in 1,067 games. During the 2022-23 season, the last one on an eight-year, $84 million deal, Toews scored 15 goals and had 31 points in 53 games.
It seemed pretty obvious that Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson wasn't going to re-sign Toews, and in August 2023, Toews announced he was retiring from hockey for health reasons.
To date, Toews' illustrious career includes three Stanley Cups, 2010, 2013, and 2015, a Conn Smythe Trophy in 2010, and a Selke Trophy in 2013. What better way to cap an NHL legacy than with a hometown chapter in Winnipeg?