NHL rumblings: Who was in on Toews, plus latest on Marner, McDavid, Tavares, Robertson and more

The Winnipeg Jets were the front-runners for Jonathan Toews from the get-go.

His relationship with Jets chairman Mark Chipman was a big part of it, and Toews’ desire to play for his hometown team was a natural allure.

But that doesn’t mean that his camp, led by agent Pat Brisson, didn’t talk to other teams once it was announced May 29 that Toews was 100 percent coming back. The Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs were among the 15 teams that spoke with Brisson about their interest in Toews.

The Leafs are dying to find the keys to a deeper playoff path, and Toews would have been a wonderful addition from that perspective. It was a no-brainer for general manager Brad Treliving to poke his nose in there, but the Leafs got the sense early it was Winnipeg or Colorado for Toews.

The young Habs could have used Toews’ Stanley Cup-winning experience, too, to be sure.

The Avs are trying to find their way back to another Stanley Cup, and adding Toews to that talented mix would have put him in a position where he didn’t have to lead but could find a way to become impactful. Colorado was seriously interested, had a chance to talk with Toews and felt it had a good role for him — don’t forget Charlie Coyle could have easily slid over to wing — but ultimately it was the runner-up.

The fit is similar in Winnipeg, where there’s also a deep, talented roster. Toews doesn’t have to be Superman.

“When it comes to fitting into the lineup, this is more about where he will finish than where he will start,” Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff told The Athletic on Saturday. “His contributions will grow as he becomes more comfortable with his surroundings. Every year, a team has to find out who they are and what each player brings to the collective group. That’s why each season brings a new challenge and what drives each individual player.

“In today’s game, it’s not about jumping over the boards first, second or third. It’s about how you influence the people around you when you are out there. JT could have chosen to just sit on the sidelines and watch time pass by, but he has chosen to embrace the new challenge of working with a group of guys to achieve something special.”

If all goes well, and Toews rediscovers some of his old form after not playing for two and a half years, he could be the second-line center on a team that has one of the very best third-line centers in the league in Adam Lowry (when he’s healthy again).

But what’s clear from Cheveldayoff’s comment is that Toews will have a chance to find his form. He won’t be rushed into a role he might not be ready for.

Here are more rumblings from around the league as we head into draft week.

Stars listening on Robertson

After making several calls around the league this past week, here’s what I make of the Jason Robertson situation: The Stars aren’t actively shopping him but are listening on him to educate themselves on the market and what teams might be willing to do at some point.

Dallas correctly views his value as at its highest right now, given that he’s still signed for another year at $7.75 million on the cap. At the same time, the Stars are also trying to gauge Robertson’s camp, CAA and Brisson, to get a feel for what their ask would be on the next contract.

Robertson is set to be a restricted free agent on July 1, 2026. He can be extended as early as this summer. If the contract is fair, Dallas will likely extend him and keep him. But if the ask is perceived as too high without much wiggle room, it might get interesting as far as circling back to teams that reached out.

The market interest is already pretty robust for Robertson, as it should be. Either way, though, I don’t see a quick resolution in the coming week or two. This is a slow-play situation where he’s either extended by the end of the summer or traded in August.

Jason Robertson would be a popular target if the Stars decide to move him. (Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)

McDavid and the Oilers’ vision

Connor McDavid spoke this week, and he was candid and clear: He’s looking for reasons to stay with the Edmonton Oilers but also needs to have the team share its vision of what the next few years look like. Because winning is No. 1. All of which is why he’s in no hurry to sign an extension right away when he’s eligible July 1. How the Oilers front office handles the next few weeks will be important in communicating to No. 97 that they’re still going to be an elite contender.

“It’s my job to connect with Connor in that way and demonstrate that that’s what we’re all trying do do,” Oilers GM Stan Bowman told Edmonton media members Friday. “We all have the same objective.”

So, message received.

Leon Draisaitl didn’t sign his extension until Sept. 3 last year, and people shouldn’t freak out if McDavid still hasn’t signed come training camp. It doesn’t mean it will drag out that long. Perhaps something gets done swiftly by August, but the most important fact to remember is that there is no firm timeline that his camp has declared.

Echoing what colleague Chris Johnston wrote this past week, I think there’s a good chance McDavid will sign a shorter deal instead of an eight-year max one. Whether that’s two years or three or five or six, time will tell.

McDavid’s agent is Judd Moldaver, who did a four-year extension for superstar Auston Matthews with the Maple Leafs two years ago. He isn’t focused on eight-year max deals in all situations. And McDavid is still only 28. So a three-year deal, for instance, would put him back in an unrestricted-free-agent leverage position at 31, when he’s still in his prime.

Of course, there’s always the small chance McDavid doesn’t think the Oilers are set up to remain a contender and doesn’t extend. I don’t think that’s the likeliest outcome, but it’s not 100 percent off the table.

Teams like the Los Angeles Kings, with former Oilers GM Ken Holland, are keeping a close eye. If and when McDavid ever leaves, it’s a short list of markets that I believe would be a fit for him: L.A., the New York Rangers, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Dallas Stars, etc. It would not be a free-for-all, with 25 teams getting a chance at it.

Marner options

The rumor du jour — and it is very much that, as I’ve not confirmed it but have heard it now from two teams — is that one option Mitch Marner is considering is a two-year deal at around $12 million to $13 million per year, positioning him to hit the market again when the salary cap skyrockets to $113 million or higher in a couple of years.

The risk is injury, of course, but at 28 now, he would be 30 when he is a UFA again if he went that route.

The Vegas Golden Knights, the Stars and the Kings are among the teams that I believe are high on Marner’s list. The Stars would be a long-shot fit given their financial commitment to Mikko Rantanen, but never say never.

Bennett’s declaration

Sam Bennett’s late-night declaration to fans at a bar Thursday went viral. (I love how the Panthers celebrate Stanley Cups, by the way.) Bennett also made it clear on the ice Tuesday night after winning it all that he considered his teammates brothers and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. So we know Bennett wants to stay, and we know Panthers GM Bill Zito wants to make it happen.

But there is still work to do to find a sweet spot on a deal. Somewhere between $7.5 million and just under $8 million on an eight-year deal seems like the spot, but will that be enough to get it done? Remember: Bennett was announcing his intention to stay late Thursday night, not an actual extension.

I find it hard to believe the sides won’t get there before July 1, though. Same as with Sam Reinhart a year ago.

Flames ready to listen on Andersson

As colleague Frank Seravalli first reported, talks between the Calgary Flames and Rasmus Andersson’s camp didn’t go great recently regarding a possible extension that can be signed as early as July 1.

The Flames still have Andersson under contract for another year and are comfortable having him play for them next season, but at the same time, my understanding is that GM Craig Conroy is now ready to listen on trade offers for the veteran right-shot defenseman. Whether that’s a trade that happens this summer or waits until the deadline, both are on the table.

There will be no shortage of interest in Andersson. Right-shot defensemen of his caliber are hard to acquire. He would be a great fit in Dallas, but how the Stars navigate that around their limited cap space is another matter.

The Stars and Rasmus Andersson would be a good fit. (Sam Hodde / Getty Images)

Blue Jackets looking to buy

The Columbus Blue Jackets were among the teams in on Mason Marchment before Dallas shipped him to the Seattle Kraken. (About 20 teams showed different levels of interest in Marchment, but Dallas needed to move his entire salary and not retain.)

Columbus has the most cap room in the league and is eager to add this summer. But the Jackets don’t want to be a dumping ground for bad contracts. They want to add talent to a team that surprised everyone this past season and nearly made the playoffs.

They thought Marchment would have been a solid add. They would enter the Mitch Marner sweepstakes if invited to do so. But unless something changes, the Marner camp doesn’t have Columbus on its list of preferred destinations. At least not so far.

Where it leaves the Kraken

It’s been a strong couple of days for Kraken GM Jason Botterill, who swapped out the underachieving Andre Burakovsky ($5.5 million average annual value for two more years) for Mason Marchment ($4.5 million AAV).

Marchment didn’t have a strong playoffs for Dallas, but he’s a more versatile player than Burakovsky in any universe and brings a different element to the Kraken. Marchment does need a new contract in a year, but he’s an upgrade for Seattle by any measure.

Tavares and Leafs aren’t close

There’s still more than a week to go before July 1, but the Leafs and John Tavares’ camp, led by agent Brisson, still haven’t found their sweet spot on an extension. Wherever each side is, it wasn’t close enough as of Saturday.

The stakes are high here. You’ve got a 34-year-old player who doesn’t want to leave his home and a team that can ill-afford to lose a second-line center who just scored 38 goals and 74 points. Deadlines spur decisions. It’s probably still going to get done, but it’s a fascinating one to be sure.

(Top photo of Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid: Dan Hamilton / Imagn Images)