‘Distractingly Loud Buzz’ About Jonathan Toews’ Destination

Jonathan Toews could return to the NHL after a two-year absence, with his hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets

Jonathan Toews says he is "100% ready" to resume his NHL career. His agent has been taking calls, and there are a number of teams interested. However, according to a report, it sounds like the frontrunner is unquestionably Toews' hometown team, the Winnipeg Jets.

Per Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects, a homecoming seems to be in order:

Two years removed from his last NHL game, there’s some distractingly loud buzz that Jonathan Toews will make his return to the league with the Winnipeg Jets.
It would be a full-circle moment for the former Blackhawks captain. Born and raised in Manitoba, the idea of Toews finishing his career at home, on an already-built Cup contender, has weight.

The Jets won the Presidents' Trophy with the top record in the NHL this past regular season, amassing 116 points, before bowing out in the second round of the playoffs to the Dallas Stars.

What could Jonathan Toews bring to the Winnipeg Jets?

With a strong team around him, "Toews would be insulated in the Jets lineup, providing immense experience and depth down the lineup," as Robinson notes.

How well he'll be able to hold up through the rigours of a full season remains to be seen. He missed the last two years after dealing with inflammatory and immune system issues. But he says now that he feels the best he's felt in years, crediting a five-week 'healing journey' in India late last year.

Toews, now 37, was drafted third overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2007, and went on to lead the team to three Stanley Cups, including taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' most valuable player, in 2010.

He's also been linked in recent weeks to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche, but if Winnipeg is able to sign him, Toews could be the final piece of the puzzle for the Jets to finally make that leap into a true Stanley Cup contender.