Chicago Blackhawks: Jonathan Toews and the Top 5 Players of the Year so Far

Numerous players on the Chicago Blackhawks' roster have played exceptionally well in the 2011-12 NHL season despite the roller-coaster ride the team has experienced thus far.

Young players have established new roles and improved their game from last season, resulting in an increased amount of confidence in themselves and from Joel Quenneville, the Blackhawks' head coach.

There are plenty of players from the team's core group of skaters who have played above and beyond their expectations, and they continue to remind people why they are so important to the Blackhawks' organization and the success the team achieves on the ice.

It's unknown if the Hawks would be as successful as they have been this season if it weren't for the consistent excellence these players have produced on the ice.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Kruger

Marcus Kruger isn't one of the Blackhawks' top five players thus far, but he's really improved many areas of his game since he made his NHL debut last season.

Kruger may not be tallying points on a nightly basis, but he's playing hard at both ends of the ice. There aren't any shifts where you'll see him play lazy or give up on any play. He goes hard for every second he's on the ice because he knows he still has a lot to prove in order to be a contributor for the Hawks when the team needs him the most.

If Kruger continues to improve at the rate he is, there's a good chance he'll play a crucial role for the Hawks in the future, and if not with the Hawks, he'll have an opportunity to take on more responsibility with a different organization like many former Hawks have done in the recent past.

Slowly but surely, Kruger is making a name for himself as more than just a third- or fourth-line forward.

Jonathan Toews

Jonathan Toews continues to prove why he is worthy of the "C" stitched on his sweater.

There is never a moment when Captain Serious believes his team has lost until the clock strikes zero.  Toews will do all he can to provide his team with the best opportunity to win night after night, and he often has a way of finding himself in the right place at the right time.

Jonny has buried an NHL-best four game-winning goals this season, in addition to his 25 points in the Blackhawks' first 24 games of the 2011-12 season.

Toews is one of the hottest players in the NHL as of late, considering he's tallied 18 points in November with one more game remaining before the month comes to an end.

Captain Serious is just nine points away from 300 career points in his short, four-plus years in the NHL.

Nick Leddy

Nick Leddy is arguably the most improved player on the Blackhawks' roster from the end of last season to the present.

Leddy has shown a whole new level of confidence he brings to the ice as a blueliner, and his new swag is present on offense and defense.

There are still a few holes in Leddy's game, but he does his best to make up for whatever mistakes he makes.

Don't be surprised if Nick Leddy is one of the NHL's elite defensemen in the near future—maybe not this year, but sometime soon.

I sense a Norris Trophy, or two, coming his way before his career comes to an end.

Leddy is only 20 years old, and he's making it known that he's on pace to be a part of the Hawks' core players and future of this organization.

Marian Hossa

There's no denying that Marian Hossa is a beast, and he's one of, if not the strongest player on the ice every night.

Big Hoss has tallied 23 points in his first 23 games of the 2011-12 season, and if he can stay healthy, there's no reason to believe he can't keep this pace for the remainder of the season.

Hossa takes advantage of every single inch and pound of his body whether or not he has the puck on his stick, and that results in a plethora of scoring opportunities for the Hawks when he's on the ice—hence his plus-10 rating.

Marian is proving why he's worthy every dollar of the 12-year contract he signed with the Blackhawks prior to the 2010 season—the same year the Hawks won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 49 years.

Again, Big Hoss' health is key to the Blackhawks' success this season.

Patrick Sharp

Patrick Sharp is one of the NHL's most underrated players because he is in the shadows of many future Hall of Famers on the Blackhawks' roster.

Sharp has found a way to get the job done ever since he put on a Hawks jersey, and he's continued those ways throughout the 2011-12 season.

Sharpy doesn't have a knack for those highlight-reel plays like many of his teammates, but he'll often appear on the score sheet more than once in a single game. 

Sharp has tallied 22 points in the Hawks' first 24 games of the season, giving him the fourth-most points on the team. But yet, Sharp is still the NHL's 22nd leading scorer.

How's that for firepower?

Patrick Kane

Patrick Kane has always been a good player, but he's taken his game to the next level, and beyond, so far this season.

Not only has Kane scored 23 points in the first 24 games of the year, but he's taken over center duties on the Blackhawks' second line, and what started off as one of Coach Q's experiments has turned into a permanent role for Kaner.

Kane's faster, stronger and bigger than he was in the first few years of his NHL career, and it's showing every time he takes the ice.

Don't expect Kane to slow down this progress—I'd only expect it to increase because of the hard work he put in over the summer.

#RickKaneSwag —it's a movement.