Jonathan Toews ranks fifth in scoring all-time in the EURO League and he will be wearing a new jersey for the first time.
The Jokerit signed him to a two-year contract at $8.5 million per year and he should have a good chance of claiming the Cup he chased for the previous 11 seasons in Slovakia.
Toews was the 5th player and second non-goalie ever drafted in the league, taken by Bratislava to anchor the offense and team. He has appeared in six all-star games.
Last year, he scored 35 goals and 90 points for the Eagles, helping them get to the conference finals. Look for Toews to take some sort of leadership role with his new team and it appears he will take Nicklas Backstrom’s place – and perhaps his jersey number – on the top line with Taylor Hall and Brendan Gallagher on the wings. The wingers scored 80 or more points last season with Backstrom.
Jordan Eberle ranks 24th all-time in scoring and he has also played in 6 all-star games. Gothenburg grabbed Eberle with the second pick of the second round in the first draft, three players after making Adam Henrique their top pick. From Season 6 on, Henrique and Eberle were linemates and for five of those seasons, Petr Vrana was their left winger. Thanks to $7.2 million of GM Austin Dwyer’s budget, the trio will be together again this season.
The Zurich Lions now have three top level (84 or higher OV ratings) wingers in Alexander Polunin, Jakub Voracek and Tyler Toffoli. That last guy was signed to a long-term $6.15 million free agent contract today. Toffoli played the last 7 seasons in Bratislava and the last 3 as a wing on the top line. He scored 30 goals twice in his career and he had 74 and 76 points in those years. The 30-year-old Canadian has blazing speed and he has become a good two-way player in recent years. Last year he was a +12 player with a +18 turnover ratio. And he only took 6 minutes in penalties last season.
Tyler Myers is the third big gun from Bratislava to land in a new city through free agency. Gothenburg was one of four teams courting Myers and he agreed to a one-year deal that will pay him $6.725 million. Two of the other deals were long-term contracts, but Myers opted for the highest dollar amount. His former team was among the other bidders. The 6-8 Myers played 11 season as a fixture in the Eagles lineup and he is 7th all-time in scoring among EURO League defensemen and only Alex Pietrangelo has scored more goals in his career than Myers from the blueline. Myers will be on the first pairing in Sweden and right now, the top candidates to be his partner are Oscar Klefbom and rookie Adam Fox.
Minutes later, P.K. Subban officially left Gothenburg as a free agent when he signed with the Munich Red Bulls for $7.35 million for a year with a team option. It was the highest dollar amount of three offers he received. He will be Cale Makar’s mentor in Bavaria. Subban was a Belfast Giant for 8 seasons and over the following four seasons, he was a member of three teams including Munich. Expect some penalty minutes, Munich fans. Last season, Subban racked up 126 minutes and that was his lowest-ever total. He is the league’s all-time penalty king, 270 minutes ahead of second-place Brad Marchand. But Subban can provide offense too. Three times he scored 50 or more points.
