Blackhawks Rumors: This is likely Jonathan Toews’ last game in Chicago

The Chicago Blackhawks spent a large portion of Jonathan Toews’s career as an S Tier NHL team. He is a large reason for that as he was one of the best two-way forwards of his generation. Along with Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, and Brent Seabrook, they led a modern-day dynasty.

Well, Keith and Seabrook have both retired while Patrick Kane is a member of the New York Rangers. Now, it might be Jonathan Toews’ final game with the Chicago Blackhawks. His contract is up and he is an unrestricted free agent.

The Blackhawks chose not to play him while he was dealing with his illness which makes sense for a variety of reasons. However, it is highly unlikely that he plays for them next season. In fact, there is a chance that he retires and this is his final National Hockey League game in general.

All of this is speculation but sometimes context clues point you in a certain direction. Right now, it seems like this is it for Toews into Chicago.

The Chicago Blackhawks are very lucky to have had Jonathan Toews.

Back in 2006, the Chicago Blackhawks made Toews the third overall pick in the draft and that is one of the best decisions that they have ever made. If the draft were redone today, Toews would likely go first. He has been everything they’ve needed and much more.

Heading into the game, Toews has played in 1066 games. In those games, he scored 371 goals and 511 assists for 882 points.

He has won the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward, the NHL’s Messier Award for leadership, and three Stanley Cup championships. He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs during the first Cup run in 2010.

During the NHL’s centennial season, Toews was named one of the league’s 100 all-time greatest players which tells you how much he has accomplished. All of this, of course, came as a member of this one franchise.

The final game is against the Philadelphia Flyers. Neither team is going to the postseason but the Blackhawks would be better off losing the game for draft lottery reasons.

It is Toews’s last game with the franchise which is sentimental but there is the future to think about as well. If this is it for Toews in the NHL in general, he will be back in Chicago soon in a different way. If not, he still may have something to offer to another team in 2023-24.