NHL Rumors: Jonathan Toews Wants Nothing to Do With Blackhawks 'Plan'

Boy oh boy, things are getting awkward in the windy city as Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews recently opened up about wanting nothing to do with the team's five-year plan. The 34-year-old has one season left on his contract, paying him $10.5 million in 2022-23.

Toews recently caught up with The Athletic's Mark Lazerus and had this to say about what's been going on in Chicago and management's vision for the team:

At the end of the day, we're talking about a five-plus-year process. So that part of it doesn’t sound appealing to me at all. I can't speak for (Patrick Kane), but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining. And exhausting. You have a guy like Alex DeBrincat who was under Kaner's wing. And I like to think that Kirby and I had that bond in some ways, too. And out they go, out the door. Over and over, we've seen that turnover. I'm learning to be more patient, but there's no doubt that timeline is pretty daunting. ... I'm not going to sit here and say what I'm going to do or what the future holds for me, because I really don't know.

When we traded Hags, and then Cat and Kirby, reality really set in that, OK, this is where we're at, and they've got to really focus on the future. And it's just unfortunate that it's come to that. But it is what it is. So much of that stuff has been out of my control for quite some time, and it's a weird place to be in as a captain.

While at this point all signs are pointing to Toews attending training camp once things open up, it's very likely there's a candid conversation this summer with general manager Kyle Davidson about where he'd like to be traded. Don't expect to see Toews or Patrick Kane finish next season in Chicago. At this rate, they might not even start it.

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