Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Blackhawks are in an interesting position, and it’s one that very few expected them to be in.
Throughout this season, we’ve seen the Blackhawks remain dominant. They’ve cruised through the 48-game schedule with the greatest of ease and head into the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winners, giving them home ice advantage as long as they’re in the playoffs.
A team doesn’t get this far without a cohesive club getting steady performances from all phases of their roster. But of course, there are also a few individual standouts as well. The Hawks figure to be a major player in the individual awards at the end of the year, including a pair of players in the Hart Trophy debate.
One of the two that could be in the discussion for the Hart Trophy is captain Jonathan Toews. He’s had a fantastic year overall, but has come on particularly in March and April to jump to the top of the conversation. The 25-year-old captain impacts the game in so many different ways.
His point total is among the league’s best. He finished with exactly a point per game on the year, finishing with 48 points. That total includes 23 points and 25 assists. He had an absurd plus-28 rating for the regular season, good for third in the league.
While his offensive skill was on display for much of the year, he’s also one of the league’s best defensive forwards, if not the best. He had a success rate of 59.9 percent at the dot, which trailed only Patrice Bergeron during the regular season.
When you talk about Jonathan Toews, you also talk about the leadership he brings to the table. There may not be a better representative of the word ‘captain’ than Jonathan Toews. He’s mature beyond his years and the leader of a tight Blackhawks unit.
There are few players in the game that are more well-rounded than Toews, if any. His combination of leadership, the constant effort he brings to the ice on every single second of every single shift of every single game, and overall skill, at both ends of the ice make him the most valuable player in the National Hockey League.
Look for Jonathan Toews to be right there in the mix for the Hart Trophy when individual awards are handed out within the next couple of months.
