As the NHL resumes its regular season Wednesday night, the Winnipeg Jets sit 11 points out of the final wild-card spot and appear destined to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
Last summer, veteran forward Jonathan Toews signed a one-year contract to pursue a Stanley Cup with his hometown team. But even with the Jets well outside the playoff picture, the 37-year-old forward has no intention of waiving his no-movement clause to join a contender ahead of the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
“I wouldn’t consider going anywhere,” Toews told Murat Ates of The Athletic on Monday. “I want to keep playing for this team.”
In fact, he rejected the idea that the Jets are even out of the playoff race.
“I don’t even know that we’re not a playoff team,” Toews said, adding he felt the team played better than results indicated during their 11-game winless streak that stretched from mid-December to early January.
“There were so many situations where all of the little things that could go wrong did … We’re going to find a way to make them go right.”
When addressing his potential future with the Jets beyond this season, the three-time Stanley Cup champion kept his focus on the present.
“I’m not thinking about that at all,” Toews said. “I’m obviously thankful for the opportunity that the Jets organization and coaching staff have given me to be able to play in the NHL again. It was an adjustment period this year, but I want to keep playing for this team.”
Toews is making $2 million this season and has contract bonuses that could push his cap hit as high as $7 million.
After spending the first 15 years of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, Toews missed the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons due to the effects of long-COVID.
He’s been productive in a depth role for the Jets, scoring seven goals and tallying 19 points in 52 games while averaging 15:07 of ice time per game.
The Jets resume their schedule Wednesday night in Vancouver against the Canucks.