Winnipeg Jets newly-signed forward Jonathan Toews could follow Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog’s lead.
In this 32 Thoughts blog from June 20, insider Elliotte Friedman compared Jonathan Toews’ recent signing with his hometown Winnipeg Jets to Gabriel Landeskog’s comeback this past season.
In particular, Friedman noted the following about Toews and Landeskog’s journeys:
"They are different recoveries, but similar in one particular way: no one really knew if the Colorado captain’s return would last. Could he practice on back-to-back days? Yes. Could he play back-to-back AHL games? Yes. Could he handle Stanley Cup playoff hockey? Yes. It went better than almost anyone imagined."
There is plenty of truth in that statement. No one really knew what to expect from Landeskog in his return to the ice. His conditioning stint with the Colorado Eagles went well. But playing in the AHL is much different than the NHL.
Plus, Landeskog chose to return during the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. He didn’t return in the middle of January against a bottom-dwelling team. Landeskog made his triumphant return against one of the best teams in the Western Conference.
Toews won’t follow that path. He’ll have the entire summer and a proper training camp to get acclimated to the NHL.
The Jets will likely ease him into the lineup. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Toews play about 10 to 12 minutes a night for his first few games. It will be interesting to see Toews in action when the Jets play the Avalanche next season.
Colorado Avalanche were runners-up in Jonathan Toews’ decision
Jonathan Toews’ decision to sign in Winnipeg shocked no one. As a Winnipeg native, it makes a lot of sense for Toews to settle down in his hometown during the next phase of his NHL career.
But throughout the decision-making process, the Colorado Avalanche were purportedly the runners-up.
In hindsight, Toews’ incentive-laden contract would have worked for the Avs. The Avalanche would have been on the hook for just $2 million against the cap, and then, as incentives kicked in, the Avs would have needed to clear space to cover them.
But that strategy is another creative way of kicking the proverbial can down the road.
Had Toews chosen Colorado, he would have added center depth to the squad. But like Landeskog, the Avalanche wouldn’t have known what they had in Toews until he hit the ice.
It would have been a calculated gamble with a massive upside and a relatively low downside.
Toews chose Winnipeg, so we’ll never really know how it would have gone in Colorado for the three-time Stanley Cup champ. But here’s hoping things go well for the 37-year-old Toews as he looks to capture lightning in a bottle one more time.