Toronto Maple Leafs target Jonathan Toews has reached an agreement in principle with the Winnipeg Jets.

According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Toews is expected to sign a one-year deal with his hometown team when the contract can be formally registered on July 1st.

The Leafs were among the teams that were interested in signing the former Chicago Blackhawks captain when reports first emerged in early January of his intention to make an NHL comeback. A potential return after nearly two seasons away was not feasible during the 2024-25 campaign, but it made more sense in 2025-26 when he had more time to train and ramp up for an 82-game season.

As the offseason progressed, the Leafs remained in the mix for much of the process, with reports indicating that they were one of the teams he was considering. The Leafs Nation’s Nick Alberga reported Monday that Toews was close to reaching a decision, but did not include the Leafs as one of the three finalists that were bidding for his services.

The fit between Toews and the Jets made too much sense for a multitude of reasons. Apart from him suiting up for his hometown team, there is the connection with GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, as both were members of the Blackhawks’ 2010 Stanley Cup championship. He also fulfills a need, both short and long-term, as Winnipeg was in dire need of improving its centre depth, compounded by captain Adam Lowry’s injury that will keep him out of commission for the next six months. As a result, Toews will likely be leaned on a lot despite having been away from hockey for the past two years for health reasons.

While he could have been a good fit on the Leafs, the aforementioned reasons listed above made the Jets the clear winners of the Toews sweepstakes. There are certainly plenty of other veteran players who could be ideal targets that fulfill the needs that Toews would have provided, in Brad Marchand and Corey Perry.

In the interim, GM Brad Treliving will need to focus on towards other more pressing matters of business, with one of them being negotiations with Matthew Knies as the two sides are reportedly far apart in contract talks though they remain hopeful something can get done.