The Blackhawks’ forward group has been gutted, and the season hasn’t even started yet.
Jonathan Toews has been ruled out with an unknown illness and has no timetable to return, the team announced Tuesday, leaving the Hawks without their captain and No. 1 center for the time being.
“This offseason, I’ve been experiencing symptoms that have left me feeling drained and lethargic,” Toews said in a statement. “I am working with doctors so I can better understand my condition.
“Until I can get my health back to a place where I feel I can perform at an elite level and help my team, I will not be joining the Blackhawks for training camp. I do not have a timetable for when I will rejoin the team. I am extremely disappointed, but it wouldn’t be fair to myself or my teammates to attempt to play in my current condition.”
The Toews announcement comes just one day after the Hawks disclosed Kirby Dach, projected to be the No. 2 center behind Toews this season, will miss four-to-five months after wrist surgery.
And the Dach injury news itself began just days after Alex Nylander, who also would’ve likely held a top-nine wing spot this season, underwent knee surgery that will keep him out four-to-six months.
Minus Toews, Dach and Nylander, the Hawks are now down three of their top eight forwards in terms of 2019-20 points. They’ve also yet to come to contract terms with the fifth-highest scorer, Dylan Strome, and previously traded the sixth-highest, Brandon Saad.
So that essentially leaves them with Patrick Kane, Dominik Kubalik and Alex DeBrincat — none of whom can play center — and an enormous jumble of should-be bottom-six role players, some of whom will obviously need to be promoted to top-six spots.
At center, the area most in question, Dylan Strome could now begin the year as the Hawks’ top center if he re-signs soon. Considering Strome’s agent, Pat Morris, said just two weeks ago he was “jockeying for position” in negotiations, recent developments have likely improved Strome’s leverage greatly.
New offseason additions Mattias Janmark, Lucas Wallmark and Carl Soderberg — who could now be the No. 2 center — will now compete with Ryan Carpenter and David Kampf, plus suddenly in-the-spotlight prospect Philipp Kurashev, for the other center roles.
No matter how the sans-Toews, sans-Dach and sans-Nylander forward depth chart sorts out, however, it won’t be a pretty-looking one. The Hawks’ 2021 season appears more and more destined for a bottom-of-the-league finish, although that wouldn’t necessarily be a terrible thing.
For Toews, though, the obvious priority is a return to full health.
Tuesday’s announcement came with little clarity about his affliction, which is arguably more concerning than a specific diagnosis would’ve been.
“To Blackhawks fans, I will continue to do whatever I can to get back on the ice and return to play the game I love for the team I love,” Toews said. “I will not be making any further comment at this time and ask everyone to please respect my privacy as I focus on my health and recovery.”
Added Hawks general manager Stan Bowman: “Jonathan’s health is our top priority as he deals with this medical issue. The Chicago Blackhawks organization and our medical staff will provide all necessary resources to help him return to playing hockey. While he will not report to training camp on January 3 and will be out indefinitely, we will continue to support him as he is an important part of our family.”
