Stanley Cup Champion Shares Life Update, Potential Solution for the Maple Leafs Third-Line Center Role

The Toronto Maple Leafs need a center, that's no secret. Brad Treliving has been vocal about his need to add defense to his forward corps without sacrificing offense. There's always the trade market, but the price to pay for a premium center may be too high.

However, there is the free agent market and while it's not the deepest pool, there is one intriguing name who is getting himself healthy in the hopes of a potential return.

Jonathan Toews has been trying to get back to health after dealing with long COVID issues as well as immune system complications, and while traditional Western medicine is the typical route, it doesn't stop athletes from trying alternative methods.

Techniques like cupping and cryotherapy have taken the sports world by storm in recent years, however, it's not too often you see athletes take the pilgrimage to another continent to get their health back.

Toews is undergoing a treatment called Panchakarma, an Eastern detox method that promotes healing through various techniques like sauna therapy, as well as some arguably controversial methods that go against the grain of Western medicine.

While he's not the player he was a decade ago, Toews is still an unbelievable player to have on the roster regardless of how much he plays.

A three-time Stanley Cup Champion and former captain of the Blackhawks is one of the greatest players of the last decade and a half.

Toews, a 15-year veteran has 1067 career games to go along with 372 goals and 511 assists and was part of one of the NHL's most dominant duos with Patrick Kane.

Beyond his regular season accolades, Toews is extremely accomplished in the playoffs; a sore spot for the Maple Leafs.

To go with the three Cups, Toews has a Conn Smythe as well as 119 points in a whopping 137 playoff games.

His addition to a team desperate for a playoff wizard could create some magic.

Giving Toews an easier role with a third-line slot (not expected to carry an offense) would be a great way for Toronto to add offense and defense to their third line while easing the load on Toews as he acclimates back to the NHL.

A Selke winner with an astounding 57.3% faceoff win percentage, Toews would bring exactly what Toronto needs to not only wake up their bottom six but give them a deeper lineup come playoff time.

The main focus though is that Toews needs to make sure his health is at 100% before he pursues another crack at the NHL, and it will take a long time for him to get back into shape after being away for so long.

But he's certainly an outside-the-box option that could bring Toronto to their long-awaited Cup.

In closing, while Jonathan Toews may be a bit away from returning to the NHL, he will have at least one suitor in Brad Treliving who knows how impactful Toews is regardless, and he'll have a home whether he shows flashes of his old self or not.