Devon Toews

Devon Toews, born on February 21, 1994, in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is one of the NHL's most effective two-way defensemen and a key component of the Colorado Avalanche's championship-caliber roster. A Stanley Cup champion whose exceptional skating, puck-moving ability, and defensive reliability have made him one of the league's most impactful blueliners, Toews represents the modern NHL defenseman at his most complete and efficient.

Toews's hockey development took a less conventional path than many NHL players. After playing junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League with the Surrey Eagles, he attended Quinnipiac University in the NCAA, where he developed his skills in a program that would become one of college hockey's powerhouses. His college career was distinguished, earning multiple honors and demonstrating the combination of skating, intelligence, and competitive drive that would carry him to the NHL.

Selected 108th overall by the New York Islanders in the 2014 NHL Draft — a fourth-round selection that ranks among the best value picks of its draft class — Toews's path to the NHL required patience and continued development. His AHL career with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers was an essential developmental period, refining his game and building the confidence necessary for NHL success. His eventual graduation to the Islanders' roster revealed a player ready to contribute at the highest level.

The trade to the Colorado Avalanche in October 2020 proved to be a transformative moment in Toews's career. Acquired for a pair of second-round draft picks — a price that would quickly appear absurdly low — Toews immediately established himself as a first-pairing defenseman in Colorado. His partnership with Cale Makar created one of the NHL's most formidable defensive pairings, combining Makar's extraordinary offensive talent with Toews's two-way reliability.

The 2022 Stanley Cup championship was the crowning achievement of Toews's career. His contributions throughout the Avalanche's dominant playoff run were significant, playing heavy minutes while contributing offensively and defending against the opposition's best forwards. His ability to complement Makar — taking on the more defensively demanding assignments while still contributing offensively — was a crucial element of Colorado's balanced defensive approach.

Toews's playing style is defined by his exceptional skating and transition play. His ability to retrieve the puck in the defensive zone and quickly transition it through the neutral zone is among the best in the NHL. His first pass out of the defensive zone is consistently accurate and well-timed, turning defense into offense with efficiency that drives the Avalanche's up-tempo style. His skating allows him to gap up on opposing forwards, defend with an aggressiveness that disrupts offensive zone entries, and join the rush at opportune moments.

Defensively, Toews is excellent. His positioning is textbook, his stick work disrupts passing lanes effectively, and his physical play is competitive despite not being an overtly physical defenseman. He kills penalties effectively and is trusted by coaching staff in defensive-zone face-off situations — a testament to the reliability of his defensive game. His advanced statistics consistently place him among the NHL's best defensemen in both offensive and defensive metrics.

Toews's offensive contributions, while not flashy, are substantial and efficient. His ability to join the rush, distribute the puck from the blue line, and make plays in the offensive zone contributes to an overall impact that is greater than his raw point totals might suggest. His hockey intelligence allows him to make the right play consistently — whether that means jumping into the attack or maintaining defensive positioning — and this decision-making is a crucial element of his effectiveness.

The Avalanche's investment in Toews through a significant contract extension reflects his importance to the franchise. His partnership with Makar provides Colorado with a defensive pairing that can compete with any in the NHL, and his ability to play in all situations provides the coaching staff with flexibility in deployment and matchup management.

At 32, Toews is in the prime of his career, combining physical ability with the experience and hockey intelligence that come from years of NHL competition. His trajectory from a fourth-round pick to a Stanley Cup champion and elite defenseman is one of the NHL's great development stories.

Devon Toews embodies the qualities that define championship-caliber defensemen — he skates exceptionally, defends reliably, contributes offensively, and elevates every teammate he plays alongside.