The Blackhawks have gone from Dynasty status to a bottom-dwelling afterthought in the NHL. They have accomplished this feat at an alarmingly fast rate as well. When a team undergoes such a dramatic change, you start asking why. I usually try not to point fingers at anyone, but I am beginning to question the direction of the management team and the leadership from the leader on the ice, Jonathan Toews.
Live feed of all @NHLBlackhawks fans after 2 consecutive failed seasons… #Blackhawks #NHL pic.twitter.com/7hyPHInU5W
— ✶ ✶Tony Gianares✶ ✶ (@Certified_TonyG) July 26, 2018
Now, there is no questioning Jonathan Toews’ heart. His heart has always been in the game. Is his head still in the game? Toews is now 30 years old and as he ages, the wear and tear starts to become significant and visible. Besides playing in tons of games, Toews has also sustained multiple head injuries. When you take all of this into consideration, it is easy to see why Toews might be starting to feel his age these days. He is not the same player he was 11 years ago, nor will he ever be again.
Jonathan Toews’ Resume
Believe it or not, Jonathan Toews has been playing in the NHL for 11 years already. In that time, Toews has compiled a nice resume. 3 Stanley Cups in a 5-year span, 2 Gold medals with Team Canada (2010, 2014), 4x NHL All-Star, Conn Smythe award, Frank J. Selke award, and 1st Team NHL All-Rookie to name a few.
Besides the long list of accolades, Jonathan Toews has also piled up a lengthy injury report. According to www.foxsports.com, Toews has had 7 injuries in his career. Of these 7 injuries, 1 was due to illness and 6 were labeled as “upper body injuries”. Dan Bernstein of 670 The Score reported that Toews has tallied up at least 6 concussions in his career. At age 30 with a history of serious injuries, Toews will have to be more careful and take care of himself. It will be a hell of a lot easier to become injured, as well as take longer to recover from injuries. Any hope for a bounce-back season from Toews next season will have to be tempered.
Jonathan Toews Is Displaying A Troubling Trend
Jonathan Toews is known for his two-way prowess, but the guy has also shown in the past that he can put some points on the board. Through the first 8 years of his career, Toews was an elite two-way forward, he put up points regularly, and won faceoffs at an impressive rate. Here are his stats through his first 8 seasons.
Scor Scor Scor Shot Ice Ice Season Age Tm Lg GP G A PTS +/- S% TOI ATOI FO% TK GV 2007-08 19 CHI NHL 64 24 30 54 11 16.7 1195 18:40 53.2 29 8 2008-09 20 CHI NHL 82 34 35 69 12 17.4 1527 18:38 54.7 54 18 2009-10 21 CHI NHL 76 25 43 68 22 12.4 1520 20:00 57.3 69 24 2010-11 22 CHI NHL 80 32 44 76 25 13.7 1661 20:46 56.7 93 30 2011-12 23 CHI NHL 59 29 28 57 17 15.7 1230 20:51 59.4 82 25 2012-13 24 CHI NHL 47 23 25 48 28 16.1 909 19:21 59.9 56 16 2013-14 25 CHI NHL 76 28 40 68 26 14.5 1555 20:28 57.3 51 30 2014-15 26 CHI NHL 81 28 38 66 30 14.6 1585 19:34 56.5 45 34 Career NHL 791 292 382 674 193 14.1 15630 19:46 56.9 626 292
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
As you can see, Toews’ performance played a huge role in bringing home 3 Stanley Cups to Chicago. As the captain, he is the oil that keeps the Blackhawks’ motor running. However, the next 3 seasons tell a much different story. The story of a guy who is beginning to show his age and the injuries are finally catching up to him. Check out exactly how much Toews’ production has fallen off.
Scor Scor Scor Shot Ice Ice Season Age Tm Lg GP G A PTS +/- S% TOI ATOI FO% TK GV 2015-16 27 CHI NHL 80 28 30 58 16 15.6 1540 19:15 58.6 57 28 2016-17 28 CHI NHL 72 21 37 58 7 10.6 1451 20:09 54.9 37 37 2017-18 29 CHI NHL 74 20 32 52 -1 9.5 1457 19:41 58.0 53 42 Career NHL 791 292 382 674 193 14.1 15630 19:46 56.9 626 292
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
The drop in production is more visible in a few categories, but they are drops in key categories. Goals, points, +/- rating, shot %, takeaways, and giveaways. Will this trend continue?
Outlook On the 2018-19 Season
Unless Jonathan Toews and the aging core discovers the fountain of youth, I have no reason to believe this trend will change. StanBo’s “big moves” in free agency will definitely not help the team’s cause neither. Thus, the Blackhawks struggles will, more likely than not, continue into the 2018-19 season. I really hope that is not the case though, because nobody wants to see a third failed season in a row. Maybe the young guys can stop the Blackhawks’ engine from stalling.
Toews and the Blackhawks should have enough fuel left in the tank to prove me wrong, but if they don’t, big changes could be coming and nobody is untouchable, not even the Captain.
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