Chicago Blackhawks won’t move Jonathan Toews at trade deadline
The Chicago Blackhawks will not move captain Jonathan Toews before the NHL trade deadline on March 3, as Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli first reported.
The decision was made by Toews and the Blackhawks as the center decided he needed more time to recover from the illness he is currently suffering from. Although there are no long-term issues with the illness and Toews could potentially return as soon as March, he decided it wasn’t fair to other teams since his body isn’t capable of competing. at a high level for now.
« First of all, thank you to the fans and everyone else who expressed concern about my absence, » Toews said in a statement released by the Blackhawks. “I am still struggling with the symptoms of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome.
“It has been really difficult to play through these symptoms. Over the past few weeks, I’ve reached a point where I had no choice but to take a step back and focus on my health. I am grateful for the patience and support of my teammates, the coaching staff and the entire Blackhawks organization.
Toews hasn’t played a game since Jan. 28 due to the symptoms he’s been dealing with.
Toews was considered one of the big names in the trade market this season, as he is in the final year of his eight-year contract with a cap of $10.5 million, and the Blackhawks are in the midst of rebuilding right now. moment, and are also looking to longtime Toews teammate Patrick Kane. Toews ranked 11th on Frank Seravalli’s most recent trade target list.
When healthy, Toews has bounced back a bit this season with 14 goals, 14 assists and 28 points in 46 games, on pace to easily surpass his career-worst season in 2021-22, where he had 12 goals. 25 assists, and 37 points in 71 games.
