Toews to miss Blackhawks training camp
In the span of just one week, things have gone from bad to worse to an absolute nightmare for the Chicago Blackhawks.
After likely losing Kirby Dach and Alex Nylander for the season due to injuries, Jonathan Toews released a statement Tuesday saying he will not join the team for training camp and that there is no timetable for his return.
"This offseason, I've been experiencing symptoms that have left me feeling drained and lethargic," Toews said. "I am working with doctors so I can better understand my condition."
After thanking Stan Bowman, Rocky and Danny Wirtz, coach Jeremy Colliton and his teammates, Toews went on to say: "To Blackhawks fans, I will continue to do whatever I can to get back on the ice and return to play the game I love for the team I love. I will not be making any further comment at this time and ask everyone to please respect my privacy as I focus on my health and recovery."
Expectations for this season were already low, but if Toews misses significant time, it's safe to wonder just how bad this team will be.
There's almost no experience in net.
A slew of young defensemen will be learning on the fly.
And offense figures to be in awfully short supply. After all, who is going to consistency score other than Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and Dominik Kubalik?
Even with a wretched Detroit team in the revamped Central Division, we might be looking at a 10-win season (out of 56 games).
Of course, the biggest concern is Toews' health. The Hawks' captain has already suffered multiple concussions over the course of his long, illustrious career. Now he's dealing with a still undiagnosed medical issue.
If this turns out to be serious it's completely plausible that Toews could consider retiring. After all, he's nearing 33 years of age and understands better than most the importance of long-term health.
A request to speak with Colliton went unanswered.
Bowman, the Hawks' GM and president of hockey operations, said this in a statement released by the team: "Jonathan's health is our top priority as he deals with this medical issue. ... We will continue to support him as he is an important part of our family. I've been in regular communication with Jonathan recently and will continue that as he takes care of his health."
The first on-ice practice for the Hawks is Jan. 4, and they open the season at Tampa Bay on Jan. 13.
Toews scored 18 goals and had 42 assists while not missing one of the Hawks' 70 games last season. He also set career highs in goals (35) and assists (46) in 2018-19.
With Toews, Dach and Nylander all out it means Colliton's top forwards figure to include Kane, DeBrincat, Kubalik, Dylan Strome (assuming he signs), Carl Soderberg and Andrew Shaw.
After that, you're looking at some combination of European import Pius Suter, Mattias Janmark (6 goals with Dallas last season), Lucas Wallmark (12G), David Kampf (8G), Ryan Carpenter (3G), Matthew Highmore (2G) and Brandon Pirri.
Plenty of others figure to get a look as well, including Brandon Hagel, Philipp Kurashev, John Quenneville, MacKenzie Entwistle and Andrei Altybarmakyan.
TV details:
The Blackhawks will appear on national television seven times this season, tied for most in the NHL. Their opener, at Tampa Bay on January 13, will kick off their national TV slate with a 7 p.m. start on NBCSN.
The other six national TV games will be split with Detroit and Nashville with times to be announced. The games against the Red Wings: Sunday, January 24 (NBC), Wednesday, February 17 (NBCSN) and Sunday, February 28 (NBCSN); and against the Predators: Wednesday, January 27 (NBCSN), Sunday, March 28 (NBCSN) and Wednesday, April 21 (NBCSN).
A steady presence
Steady presence
Jonathan Toews' stats the last five seasons:
Season GP G A Pts.
2015-16 80 28 30 58
2016-17 72 21 37 58
2017-18 74 20 32 52
2018-19 82 35 46 81
2019-20 70 18 42 60
GP: Games played