First, given the date, RIP to all those who tragically perished 21 years ago and especially to Victor Wald. As many of you know, I posted the blog I wrote about my 9/11/01 and memories of Victor several times over the years. If anyone needs the link to read again, please let me know and I will share in the comments. May Victor's soul - and those of all who passed away that day as well since then due to what occurred in NY, PA and DC- ascend to heaven. Not a day goes by that I don't think of Victor and his family and my prayers go out to them.
As we count down the days to the start of training camp on September 21, we cover another open question from the list of top off-season questions. Only three questions remain that I plan to tackle before camp opens, though the one on Pat Verbeek and Theo Fleury might wait until we get closer to the next Hockey Hall of Fame voting. I have noted which ones I think we have covered either directly in blogs or by events since the end of the season.
This column discusses question 15:
Is acquiring Jonathan Toews under strong consideration by New York?
Off-season Questions:
In almost every year past, we have done some version of the top 20 or so off-season questions. To state the obvious and what should be remembered by many, we usually have entered the late-spring and summer with more questions than answers. This year may be no different, despite what looks to be settled on the team. As done in year's past, I throw this one to you, asking for you to provide your questions, which I will incorporate in the blogs to carry us through the summer.
1) Will Ryan Strome or Andrew Copp be re-signed, and if one is to be brought back, which one do you prefer? (answered by the signing of Vincent Trocheck coupled with Strome now in Anaheim and Copp in Detroit)
2) Would you deal Kakko Kappo for a second or third line center and do you want that to be Kirby Dach? (somewhat answered with Dach now in Montreal, but Kakko still might get dealt)
3) Is Filip Chytil a center or a winger? (covered here)
4) Did Alexis Lafreniere show enough to be moved to the top-six and do you view him as a first line right winger? (answered in this blog on Lafremiere)
5) Would you buy out Patrik Nemeth or what would you package him with to free up his $2.5 million salary this year (and next)? (answered by the trade of Nemeth to Arizona blog)
6) Who are you adding as Igor Shesterkin's back up once Alexandar Georgiev is moved? Can Keith Kinkaid and/or Adam Huska fill that spot? Do you add a veteran like Braden Holtby for $1 million? answered by the signing of Jaroslav Halak and Louie Domingue coupled with trade of Georgiev to Colorado.Kinkaid has signed with Boston and Holtby will miss the year with an injury
7) Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Is the wiser course of action to do both? Answered in this blog
8) Is Vitali Kravtsov part of the future and will he be brought back to the US? (Covered here and here) plus as announced today, he reported early to be ready for training camp.
9) Would and should the Rangers really consider dealing Artemi Panarin as Arthur Staple hinted at in his column? (think we all know the answer to this one)
10) Will Brennan Othmann and/or Will Cuylle be given a REAL chance to make the squad this summer or will the Rangers opt to not rush the youngsters? Both are on their ELCs and are listed as LW. If they do make the roster, then who gets moved out?(TommyGTrain) Answered in this blog
11) Are the Rangers built to compete against Colorado for the Stanley Cup?
12) Is Gerald Gallant the right coach for this team moving forward?
13) How do you want the third and fourth lines to look? Do they need to be a traditional bottom-six or should the third line be more of a scoring line? Answered in this blog as well as below
14) Should New York consider buying out the final season of Ryan Reaves’ deal? (Factors include cap savings for this year and small amount of dead cap space in 2023-24) (think we have covered this in the past and pretty sure I have made my opinion clear)
15) Is acquiring Jonathan Toews under strong consideration by New York?
16) What does Jessica Campbell bring to the table and how important is her hiring? (covered here and now a moot point as she signed as an assistant coach with Anaheim's farm team )
17) Will Theo Fleury and Pat Verbeek make the Hall of Fame and what does their absence tell us about the voting process?
18)Should the Rangers deal Chris Kreider, and if so, what should be the targeted return? covered here
I purposely wrote the question focusing on
Toews and not Patrick Kane, because the answer on Kane would be vastly different. I would love Kane in New York, regardless of how he might be performing during the season due to the team around him, and adding him would lengthen and deepen the lineup. In addition, Kane is a proven playoff performer who would take some of the pressure off Artemi Panarin. But Kane is someone who you look to add closer to the deadline when the Rangers have hopefully banked sufficient cap space to fit him in, either with Chicago assuming 50% of his contract or by getting a third team involved. It would not shock me if the Blueshirts attempted to bring Kane in earlier, but I expect chatter on adding him to pick up after the calendar flips to 2023.
Back to the question on Toews. He returned to the Chicago lineup last season ago after missing the entire 2020-21 campaign due to an immune illness. Playing for one of the worst teams in the league, the Blackhawks captain managed just 12 goals and 37 points in 71 games, both career-low marks. After seeing his regular season production decline after scoring 68 points in 2013-14 to 66, 58, 58 (in 72 games), and 52 points, Toews turned back the clock in 2018-19 to tally 61 points. Toews saw his output drop again to 60 in 70 games before missing all of the 2020-21 season.
Toews is no doubt a playoff performer, winning the Conn Smythe Award in 2009-10 when Chicago won the Stanley Cup, tallying 29 points in 22 games. In 2012-13, he posted 14 points in 23 games and 21 points in 23 contests in 2014-15 when the Blackhawks raised the Silver Chalice after each of those seasons. His 119 points in 137 playoff games show just how much Toews raised his game when the post-season began.
The three Stanley Cups only tell part of the story of Toews as a winner and leader. Toews won a gold medal in 2005 in the under-17 World Hockey Challenge. He won gold with Canada in 2006 and 2007 in the world junior championships, and one at the 2007 world championship. In addition, he won gold at the 2010 and 2014 Olympics for Team Canada.
Acquiring Toews would give the Rangers even more leadership in the room. But the question is whether he can still do it on the ice. As noted above, his regular season production has declined most of the last six or seven seasons. Since the Blackhawks won the Cup after the 2014-15 season, Toews has only played in 20 playoff games, notching six goals and 11 assists, with nine of those points coming in nine games in the 2020 postseason. A significant question is whether Toews, who will be almost 35 when the 2023 postseason begins, can withstand the physical toll in the playoffs to raise his game as in years past.
Like Kane, acquiring Toews would be a trade deadline move. Presuming you believe in what he can provide in the playoffs, Toews could slot on the second or third line depending how Vincent Trocheck and/or Filip Chytil are playing and your confidence in them in the playoffs. I put trading for Toews as more of a longshot than Kane for three reasons. First, he is the team's captain and may opt to stay with the squad and play his career in one spot despite what will be a difficult season. Second, unless he turns back the clock, if he has a similar year to last season, his value will be depressed. This would possibly impact the desire of the teams in contention to take on $5.25 million in salary, even if Chicago eats the other $5.25 million. Third, due to what he means to the Blackhawks, the cost to acquire might be more than New York is willing to pay.
What say you? Do you want Toews in New York? Does it matter how he is performing in the regular season due to his playoff pedigree? Is he the piece that pushes New York over the top?
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