Blackhawks: Toews’s return has been a bright spot of the season

The Chicago Blackhawks have not had the best start of the season, especially going into their home opener last night against the New York Islanders. Despite all the negativity, there has been one bright spot to see.

Jonathan Toews missed all of last season, and for a long time this offseason there were questions of whether or not Toews was going to get back into the lineup this year, fortunately, he battled back.

Having Jonathan Toews back in the Blackhawks’ lineup is great to see, but it’s not just about having him back for a potential playoff run.

Toews missed an entire season after being the face of the franchise for the past ten-plus years. After winning three championships and being one of the best players in the league for a long time, he was gone with a lot of uncertainty and silence around whether or not he was going to be back again in the future.

Hawks fans have seen a number of team greats have to step away due to injuries. Marian Hossa, Brent Seabrook, and Andrew Shaw all dealt with injuries and were forced out of the league a little too early, seeing Toews back in the lineup brings a smile to everyone’s faces.

The Blackhawks showed this video last night before the home opener:

I do not think anyone is shocked that Captain Serious would say last night’s game was not about him, but after missing a year of hockey I have to say, yesterday definitely should be about him, and every game this season.

Having Toews back on the ice is something I do not think Blackhawks fans are going to take for granted anytime soon. Chicago has two of the franchise’s all-time greats still on the ice in Patrick Kane and Toews. No matter how the team is playing, having those two guys still lace up the skates and play for this franchise is definitely an honor.

Oh, and on the hockey side of things, Toews has been great since returning. He leads the team in faceoff wins through the first three games with 35and a faceoff percentage of 63.6. Plus he has the second-best Corsi numbers on the team with a Corsi percentage of 56.

Toews missed an entire season in 2020-21, but he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat through the first four games.

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