Chicago Blackhawks: Stating the Case for Jonathan Toews As the NHL MVP

An integral part of the lives of many 22-year-olds is their resume.  Resume building is a key factor in getting jobs, something many people that age are attempting to do.

Jonathan Toews is 22 years of age. His resume currently boasts the honor of being the youngest captain in the history of the Chicago Blackhawks, an Olympic Gold medal, being named Top Forward of the Olympics, a Stanley Cup championship and a Conn Smythe Trophy. Not too shabby for someone who technically would be a senior in college.

In addition to the many, many accolades Toews has already garnered in his young career, another one may soon be on the horizon—the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the NHL.

Perhaps nobody in the NHL has been more important to their team than Toews has been to his Blackhawks this season.

Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and the Sedin twins in Vancouver may have more points than Chicago’s Captain Serious, but the presence of Toews in Chicago’s dressing room is simply unparalleled in the NHL.

Without his superb leadership, the Blackhawks would be well on their way to missing the playoffs. Injuries to key players, the hospitalization of your head coach and growing pains of having an overhauled roster are all obstacles Toews has helped the Blackhawks overcome this season.

They had their fair share of struggles and frustrations earlier in the year, but Toews has been the one constant. Fellow stars Marian Hossa and Patrick Kane have each experienced periodic slumps throughout the season, Norris Trophy winner Duncan Keith has had a below-average season for his standards, and Marty Turco has been quite the disappointment in net.

On the season, Toews has amassed 25 goals and 38 assists, for a team-high 63 points. He also boasts a plus/minus rating of 21, good for second best on the team. He ranks in the league’s top-20 in each of these categories.

Despite being surrounded by underachievers, Toews’s strong performances have been persistent, and his leadership never waned.

On President’s Day, the Blackhawks trailed the Blues 2-0 after one period of play. It had been one of the worst periods of the year for the ‘Hawks. At intermission, Toews ripped into his teammates. It’s not clear what was said, but the outcome of that speech is evident—it worked.

The Blackhawks came out and tallied four goals in the second period, en route to a 5-3 victory over St. Louis. The team, along with Toews, hasn’t looked back since.

They are a perfect 4-0-0 since that showdown in St. Louis, part of the team’s current season-high six-game win streak.

Toews has reached the score sheet in each of those six wins, totaling 11 points on six goals and five assists. Two of the six goals were game-winners.

In fact, Toews has scored in seven consecutive games, and in 13 of the team’s last 15.

His efforts earned him Player of the Month honors for the month of February, a month that saw Chicago catapult to their current position of fourth in the Western Conference, a giant leap from the 13^th position they had recently been in.

It’s no coincidence that as Toews has taken his game to another level, the team has as well.

He kept the team afloat in the standings all year, and his recent torrid pace has been infectious with the team. Teammates are taking after his lead and playing up to the potential that everyone knew they could.

Toews may not be the most-talented player in the league, but that’s not what the MVP award is about. It’s about which player is most valuable to his team, and there’s no denying how essential he is to the Chicago Blackhawks.