Toews to be kept off ice as back injury not improving
Jonathan Toews will be off skates for a few days.
Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville said Sunday that Toews' back injury is "not getting better," reports the Chicago Tribune's Chris Hine.
Toews will miss his sixth straight game Sunday, and the Blackhawks will assess his status in the middle of next week.
The Blackhawks can afford to be patient with Toews, as the club is playing solid hockey, leading the Central Division with 35 points.
No. 19 has clearly been slowed by the injury, with only four goals and 12 points in 21 games. He's shooting 7.4 percent, and that's notable because Toews has never shot lower than 12.4 percent, and has scored 20 or more goals in each season of his remarkable career.
| Season | Goals | Shooting Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 2007-08 | 24 | 16.7% |
| 2008-09 | 34 | 17.4% |
| 2009-10 | 25 | 12.4% |
| 2010-11 | 32 | 13.7% |
| 2011-12 | 29 | 15.7% |
| 2012-13 | 23 | 16.1% |
| 2013-14 | 28 | 14.5% |
| 2014-15 | 28 | 14.6% |
| 2015-16 | 28 | 15.6% |
| 2016-17 | 4 | 7.4% |
Chicago is home to Arizona, the Rangers, and Dallas next week, so Toews will be rehabbing at home.