The first half of 2018 unfolded like the previous year-and-a-half for Chicago Blackhawks captain and No. 1 center Jonathan Toews.
The underlying numbers were there. The possession numbers all looked right. But the goals and assists just weren’t showing up. Toews finished the 2017-18 NHL season with career lows in goals (20) and points (52) for 82-game schedules. One of biggest statistics that affected Toews was shot percentage, as his numbers in the last two seasons were well below his career averages. Chicago’s first absence from the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a decade also had to weigh heavily on the mind of the notoriously competitive Toews.