Jonathan Toews in a Colorado Avalanche uniform? It’s hard to envision, but it seems like a natural fit given the state of the two franchises. The Blackhawks are tanking and their general manager, Kyle Davidson, will want to sell at the trade deadline. Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup-winning captain with a Selke and Conn Smythe to his name, would likely make sense to move, given the fact he’s on an expiring contract.

The situation isn’t quite that simple, though. Toews is 34 years old and carries a massive $10.5 million cap hit. He also has complete control over his situation with a no-movement clause. Claude Giroux was in a similar situation last deadline, and he made it clear Florida was the only place he wanted to be. That forced the Flyers’ hand, and it’s where he ended up to close out the 2021-22 season. Maybe Toews will do something similar and hand-pick his next team, but he’s been tight-lipped about what he wants.

If Davidson is, in fact, able to move Toews, the fit in Colorado makes sense, at least in theory. But does it make sense given the constraints of salary cap, age and individual desire? The Athletic’s Chicago writer Mark Lazerus and Colorado writer Peter Baugh explore.

Does Toews want to be traded? And how good is he at this point?

Lazerus: The answer to both questions is: It’s complicated.

I’m not even sure if Toews knows what he wants yet. He recently told me he is indeed leaning in a certain direction, but that he’s waiting to see if anything changes his mind. And based on all the conversations I’ve had with him dating back to the summer, I think he’s been changing his mind a lot. Being the captain of the Chicago Blackhawks means the world to Toews, and it’s been his identity for nearly 15 years. It’s who he is, it’s what he is. He’s also fully embraced his role as mentor to the Blackhawks’ younger players. He’s actually having more fun this season than he expected. Is all the losing wearing on him? Absolutely. Is he eager to be back in a real playoff experience — in which he’s always thrived — for the first time since 2017? You bet. But does he want to put on another team’s jersey? Does he want to take on a lesser role somewhere else? Does he want to be just another guy on a team full of bigger stars? His on-ice legacy is secure. He has all the hardware. He doesn’t need to go chasing a fourth Stanley Cup. But he still might want to. Maybe. Possibly. Or not. We’ll see.

As for how good he is, he’s certainly not the Toews of 10 years ago, who was arguably the second-best player in the world; a two-way juggernaut. But he’s still better than most people probably think. After struggling to find his legs last season following a year away from the game for health reasons, Toews has been solid and relatively productive, with 14 goals and 14 assists on a team that simply doesn’t score very often. He can still play down low on the power play. He can still kill penalties. And he’s the best faceoff guy in the league, at a whopping 63.3 percent. He’s not a No. 1 center anymore, but he could be a solid No. 2 or a dynamite No. 3.