Coach Luke Richardson saw Jonathan Toews at the United Center before Sunday’s game against the Canucks, and confirmed the Blackhawks captain has resumed skating.
“He was out with the guys and [Saturday] as well. On and off, when we were on the road trip,” Richardson said. “Today, he seemed good and felt good. Hopefully that can progress into joining the team.”
Toews, who hasn’t played since Jan. 28 due to symptoms of Long COVID and Chronic Immune Response Syndrome, is in a race against time to play again this season. After Sunday, the Hawks have nine games remaining, and Richardson said there’s no set timeline for Toews to return to practice, though he indicated it could be soon.
“To me, this has been the best kind of scenario that I’ve seen since him coming back, where he’s feeling better and hopefully that translates to getting on the ice with the [full] team,” Richardson said. “Unfortunately we don’t practice [Monday] or later in the week, so it might be more to the end of the week, but we’ll see [it is]. Maybe he even gets out for morning skates.”
Luke Richardson on Jonathan Toews skating. #blackhawks pic.twitter.com/y0cGhdQ4aP
— Brian Sandalow (@BrianSandalow) March 26, 2023
Per Richardson, Toews also seemed to be in a good mood. That might’ve been helped by seeing former teammates such as Andrew Shaw, who took part in a team legends game earlier Sunday.
“By [Toews’] mannerism today, to me that’s a good sign,” Richardson said. “I know he can get frustrated. As [the media] knows from the past, he gets pretty direct. Today, he was good. He was in there stretching, he was in there relaxing after and talking to Shaw and a couple of guys here for the weekend.
“Real good mindset right now. Hopefully that can translate and get to practice, which we don’t have much practice this week. But at some point.”
Man in the middle?
Lukas Reichel can also be used at center, but the Hawks aren’t planning on slotting him up there in the lineup. But plans can change with injuries, which could force Reichel into the middle.
Richardson again praised Andreas Athanasiou for his work at center on Saturday, and said the veteran forward plays and interchanges well with Reichel.
“He’s doing really well. Keeping [Reichel] out of the middle might be good,” Richardson said. “I thought the other night a couple times, [the Capitals’ Tom] Wilson just missed him or let up on him, I felt, so just him getting awareness of the league and who’s in the league, that might be a little safer spot up and down the wall.”
Kaiser sits
Defenseman Wyatt Kaiser was scratched in favor of Andreas Englund, but that wasn’t a reflection of Kaiser’s play. Richardson mentioned how Kaiser wasn’t hesitant to go into the corner with rugged Wild winger Ryan Reaves.
“I thought he moved [pucks] really efficiently,” Richardson said of Kaiser. “He’ll get to know the league and feel a little bit more comfortable positionally in the league, when to join the rush and all kinds of things his skating ability will let him do.”
Other updates
Forward Buddy Robinson, who has skated in seven games with the Hawks, was assigned to Rockford. Anders Bjork played in Robinson’s spot.
