Jonathan Toews has played only two seasons in the past five years and hasn't appeared in an NHL game since April 13th, 2023. However, it was recently reported that he will be looking to make a comeback and the LA Kings should seriously consider signing him this offseason.
Toews has missed the past two seasons after dealing with health issues due to Chronic Immune Response Syndrome but appears ready to resume his NHL career. At one time, Toews was one of the best players in the NHL and a four-time All-Star from 2008-09 to 2016-17, and has played in 1,067 career games with 372 goals and 511 assists.
Why would the LA Kings consider signing Jonathan Toews this offseason?
At this point of his career, and the fact that he will be 37 years old this season, the LA Kings wouldn't be getting a 30+ goal scorer. In fact, he probably would only be expected to be a fourth line contributor and be a replacement for Trevor Lewis, who is set to be a free agent.
While he may not contribute much on the ice, what he could bring to this team is playoff experience, particularly Stanley Cup experience. During his time with the Chicago Blackhawks, he would win the Stanley Cup on three separate occassions.
The Kings got to see first hand how good Toews is in the playoffs as they would face him and the Blackhawks in back-to-back seasons. The Blackhawks would win the first meeting before the Kings won the meeting the year after.
The Kings this season are focused on not only getting to the playoffs but advancing and getting past the first round. While the Kings still have Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty, a majority of the roster hasn't gotten past the first round.
By adding another player like Toews to the locker room would be a great addition for the locker room and lead some of these younger players.
It will be interesting to see how much interest Jonathan Toews draws in free agency but adding him on a one-year deal is one that could pay dividends later in the season.