Ex-Blackhawk Jonathan Toews now at crossroads late in NHL career

Toews took a long, unconventional path back to pro hockey after sitting out two years to battle long COVID and other health issues, eventually signing a one-year, $2 million contract with performance bonuses in his hometown.

After 1,067 NHL games and nearly a decade as the face of the Chicago Blackhawks, this felt like a storybook return.

But through roughly the first half of the season, the narrative hasn't unfolded that way. Toews has struggled to produce offensively, logged modest ice time, and sits with minimal point totals and a noticeable negative on the plus-minus board.

The faceoff skill and veteran presence remain, but the kind of game-breaking plays that once defined his career are nowhere to be found right now.

Toews came into this year with leadership expectations, a chance to bolster a Jets squad that has Cup ambitions, and a personal desire to show he still belongs at the NHL level.

Fans hoped «Captain Serious» would inject life into the middle six, and you can hear the frustration in conversations around the arena when the veteran's name pops up after quiet shifts. The emotional tie to Winnipeg is strong, but emotion doesn't pay the bills or tilt playoff series.

Now Toews and the Jets face a real crossroads. Is this slump a blip after a long layoff, something he can claw out of with simple adjustments and confidence? Or is this a sign that age and health have overtaken the impact level he once owned? Coaches and teammates publicly back him, yet inside the room the questions are real, and so are the minutes on the bench.

Some Jets fans still believe this chapter can flip if Toews finds his stride by the season's second half. Others whisper that a rethink of the role or minutes might be the honest answer for all involved.

At this stage of a Hall of Fame-worthy career, every shift matters, and the next handful of games will say a lot about what's next for Toews in the league and in hockey's bigger picture.