The Winnipeg Jets are primed for the 2023 Trade Deadline. They’ve spent months saving their cap space to make a big move, one that became especially clear after their 3-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb 16. Of all the names floating about ahead of the deadline, Jonathan Toews is one that The Fourth Period has linked to the Jets.
It is a cool story, bringing the Winnipeg-born, three-time Stanley Cup winner back to his hometown to compete in the playoffs. The community even named the Jonathan Toews Sportsplex after him in 2010 after his first championship. Despite the golden storylines, there are better options available for a similar price.
Cost for Toews Is Too High
Many have talked about Toews’ league-leading 63.3 percent faceoff percentage, and while the Jets could use some help in this area, they have much bigger needs to address. Despite his experience, he would not crack the team’s top six.
Related: Jets 2023 Trade Deadline Rumour Rundown
There have also been questions about Toews’ health after he was forced to miss the entirety of the 2020-21 season due to chronic immune response disorder. He is currently out of the lineup due to an undisclosed illness, which has caused him to miss five straight games.
The Chicago Blackhawks have one of the worst records in the NHL this season at 16-32-5. Their struggles have dropped Toews’ plus/minus to a staggering minus-24. The Jets have been waiting to use their cap space, and are one of the few teams that can fit his $10.5 million cap hit, but even if 50% of his salary is retained, there are better options on the market for the organization to target.
Toews Would Not Be an Upgrade
Toews is great at taking faceoffs, but with Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois as the team’s top two centres, and Adam Lowry having one of the best seasons of his career – he is on pace to break his previous career-high of 29 points in 82 games set in 2016-17 – Toews would likely be the Jets’ fourth-line centre.
Yes, Toews has more goals and points than Lowry this season, but his even-strength numbers are lacking, as shown by this regularized adjusted plus/minus (RAPM) chart from Evolving Hockey.
The chart shows that Toews’ defensive metrics are not what they used to be. The 34-year-old has plenty of experience in the NHL, but his role would be minimal in Winnipeg. While acquiring a bottom-six centre may be a good idea, one that costs as much as Toews should not be on the organization’s radar. Instead, they should be looking to target middle-six wingers who can move up and down the lineup.
Better Options Include Garland, Boeser, Henrique
Two middle-six wingers who are reportedly available are the Vancouver Canucks’ Conor Garland and Brock Boeser. They also have term on their contracts and could add a scoring touch to an offence that desperately needs it. Adam Henrique of the Anaheim Ducks has 33 points in 54 games and would presumably cost less than Toews to acquire.
These are all options to consider if they miss out on the big-name acquisition of Timo Meier, who will cost a hefty price, but worth it for the production that he would bring to the top six. He is one of the most dynamic wingers in the league and would provide the franchise with a ton of offensive flexibility.
Not only is Toews one of the more expensive options out there, but his production does not match his cost. The Jets desperately need a middle-six winger with a scoring touch, and Toews does not fit that role. The team’s assets are better spent making a big swing rather than slightly improving the bottom-six.