Watching Jonathan Toews play with the Winnipeg Jets this season has been a story that’s hard not to follow. A future Hall of Famer signs in his hometown after a medical leave costs him two full seasons away from the game. He’s on a one-year deal, and it’s tough not to root for him.
Now that we’re getting close to the end of the 2025-26 season, the awkward question is starting to hang in the air. Does Toews come back for one more year, or should he hang up the skates?
Toews’ Numbers Tell a Hard Truth
The numbers show that in 76 games, he’s managed only nine goals and 16 assists for 25 points. That’s quite a ways off from the 60–70 point seasons everyone remembers from his Chicago days. His ice time has dropped dramatically, and his rating sits at minus-16. Most nights, he centres the third line.
The jump is gone, and the offence isn’t what it was. That’s not criticism so much as reality. Coming back from where he’s been at his age is no small feat. But he did it.
But don’t toss the whole book just yet. Toews still has pieces of his game that matter a lot. They’re just not the kind of things you’ll see if you only watch highlights. He’s winning faceoffs at over 60%, he plays sound defence in his own end, and he brings veteran leadership that younger players pick up by playing beside him.
That mentorship piece matters. In the room and on the bench, he brings the kind of structure that still wins hockey games.
Where the Toews Experiment Hasn’t Quite Paid Off
Where this experiment hasn’t quite paid off is in impact. The Jets brought him in hoping for a stabilizer who might chip in offensively. What they’ve gotten instead is something more modest: a useful player, but not a game-changer. At 37 — and turning 38 in April — the legs and the burst simply aren’t the same.
So what’s the verdict for Toews? Should he play one more season with the Jets?
Toews Adds Value, But He’s No Longer a Driving Force
No one’s handing out report cards, but the general read is clear: a solid depth veteran, reliable in defensive situations, valuable in the room — but limited when it comes to driving offence. If he wants to come back, you can imagine the Jets being open to a short-term deal. Teams always find room for players who understand the game and carry themselves the right way.
On the flip side, if Toews is really honest with himself, the stats suggest this could be the perfect moment to call it a career while he’s still in control. He wouldn’t be leaving because hockey had drained him dry — he still has a bit left in the tank.
A decision will come. Whatever he decides, he’ll do it with the same class he’s shown throughout his career. And because that kind of class still matters, so does Toews.
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