NHL Rumors: Free agency updates on Toews, Dumba, Tarasenko

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Apr 13, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews (19) is honored after the game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He played his last game as a Blackhawk, at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

NHL free agency signings have slowed down after the whirlwind on July 1, but there are still some big names who have yet to sign.

NHL free agency kicked off with a bang on July 1, and the deals have been trickling in since then. The remaining free agents will sign throughout the summer.

Some of the key names remaining on the free agent market are Jonathan Toews, Matt Dumba, and Vladimir Tarasenko. All three players just finished long-term contracts with their respective teams. Dumba and Tarasenko are in places in their careers where they are worth a big contract, although the salary cap is likely getting in the way. Toews, on the other hand, may or may not retire.

Here are the latest updates on Toews, Dumba, and Tarasenko.

NHL Rumors: Jonathan Toews update points toward retirement

35-year-old Jonathan Toews has spent his entire NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks after being drafted third overall in 2006. The long-time Blackhawks captain became a free agent this summer after Chicago announced this spring that he would not be re-signed. His career could now be coming to an end.

Once an elite two-way center, the past several years have been challenging for Toews health-wise. He struggles with Chronic Immune Response Syndrome and symptoms from long COVID. These health concerns have led to missed time during the past few seasons, as well as a decline in his play.

After the Blackhawks announced they would not re-sign Toews, it seemed possible, although unlikely, he might choose to seek a new team. While no retirement announcement has come out yet, an interesting development has surfaced. As reported by Mark Spector of Sportsnet, Toews’ agency, CAA, did not list him as one of their available free agents. Since he is not on this list, it seems more likely that Toews is planning to say goodbye to his playing career.

Toews means a lot to the NHL community, but it sounds like it might be time for him to hang it up. The three-time Stanley Cup Champion is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a World Champion. Toews will be in the Hall of Fame one day. An official retirement announcement might be coming soon.

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