The Ottawa Senators have been building toward contention for years. The core is maturing, the expectations are rising, and the team is no longer seen as a rebuilding project. To help mold the young core, the Sens brought in Claude Giroux three years ago, but last summer, GM Steve Staios wanted to add even more experience on the roster.
Staios brought in players like Nick Jensen, David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Nick Cousins and they all had a hand in ending the club’s eight-year playoff drought this year.
Here in early June, there’s perhaps a little uncertainty about the current group of veterans. Jensen is injured with something that may or may not be long term. Perron missed half of last season, some of it due to injury. And Giroux and Cousins are both about to become unrestricted free agents.
If Staios decides, for whatever reason, his team could use more help in the veteran department, there will be plenty of options out there in free agency. But they’ll be expensive, and he’ll have to wait until July 1st to see who’s available (ahem, because no GM would ever make calls to UFAs before July 1).
One intriguing veteran name has surfaced and he can be signed right now: Jonathan Toews.
Yes, the three-time Stanley Cup winner, and one of the most respected leaders in modern NHL history, is attempting a comeback next season.
Toews, who just turned 37 in April, hasn’t played since the 2022–23 season due to long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome (CIRS). But his agent told NHL.com that Toews “feels great.”
"I'm not satisfied (with) the way things ended in Chicago,” Toews told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic back in March. “It's not about proving anything. It's just that there's something left in the tank, and I want to explore that. I want to go have fun, have a blast, and play with passion.”
Toews is no longer the dominant two-way center he once was. But he’s probably capable of being more than he was in his recent seasons in Chicago. His December 2024 interview with GQ Magazine tells the tale of his health battles and his difficult, unique road to recovery. After he’d tried everything else, he went on a healing journey to India and leaned on something called Ayurvedic detox. Based on his description, filled with stories of therapies like induced vomiting and enemas, it sounded like a completely miserable experience.
But Toews says he’s been getting gradually stronger, month by month.
If Toews really is fully healthy in a way he hasn’t been in years, he could be a really nice fit in Ottawa. Hell, he’d be a nice fit anywhere they need leadership. The guy is a former Selke and Conn Smythe winner, three-time Cup winner, and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Toews has been the captain of a dynasty, someone who knows exactly what it takes to win on the biggest stage.
“Captain Serious,” as he’s sometimes called, would bring another layer of accountability to a locker room that’s finally figured out the playoff codes, but now has to learn how to become a contender. Younger players like Tim Stützle, Jake Sanderson, and Shane Pinto would benefit from having someone who’s lived through the highs and lows of not just being on three Cup winners, but leading them.
Ottawa Senators Sign Tyler Kleven To Two-Year Deal As Two-Way Potential Begins To Emerge
In an unexpected but welcomed announcement on Monday morning, the Ottawa Senators <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/senators-agree-to-two-year-contract-extension-with-defenceman-tyler-kleven">revealed</a> they signed defenceman Tyler Kleven to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.6 million.
Financially, the move would likely be low-risk. Toews would probably come in on a short-term, low-cost contract, laced with performance and games-played bonuses. According to PuckPedia.com, while performance bonuses count against the salary cap, teams are permitted to exceed the salary cap due to performance bonuses, to a maximum of 7.5% of the salary cap.
So if Toews can’t stay healthy or simply doesn’t have it anymore, the cost will be minimal. If he's good, and bonuses start kicking in, it won't be a cap issue.
The idea starts to make even more sense if the Sens don’t/can’t get something done with Giroux. In that case, Toews may not produce quite like Giroux, who's three months older, but he’d more than make up for the loss of Giroux's veteran leadership.
Even if Giroux stays in Ottawa for another year or two – and we ask this with all due respect to UFA Adam Gaudette and the fine season he just had – if you can get Toews as your fourth-line centre for the same kind of money Gaudette wants, isn’t that something worth considering? At the very least, it’s worth sending a scout to poke around and see Toews during his on-ice training.
Remember, this isn’t a retired player who’s been chilling poolside for two years, pounding hot dogs and beers and suddenly deciding he wants to make a comeback. This is a future Hall of Famer, who’s been laser-focused and committed to doing whatever he has to do to return to health and the game he loves.
Wherever he ends up next season, we’re betting the team that signs him will be glad they did.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Recent Senators News at The Hockey News Ottawa:
Will The Senators Select Another Calgary Hitmen Star In Round One?
The Sens' Short History Of Offer Sheets Isn't Likely To Grow This Summer
Senators Open To Re-Signing Adam Gaudette – But At What Cost?
Ex-Sens Head Coach Enters Ottawa Sport Hall Of Fame
Former Sens Defenceman Officially Signs On To Play In Switzerland
Building A Contender: What The Ottawa Senators Can Learn From The Oilers And Panthers