Toews, 34, took the opening faceoff for Chicago as he appeared in a game for the first time since Jan. 28 at Edmonton. He played 14 minutes and took 18 shifts, and started by centering a line with wingers Reese Johnson and Austin Wagner.
Toews set up Andreas Athanasiou‘s third-period tip-in and managed a shot himself. But the Blackhawks leader admitted his first game back — against the speedy Devils — was challenging.
“Definitely finding my way a little bit,” Toews. “I think the first period was rough. That’s a fast team, fast game. But I think the second, third period, I started to feel a bit more comfortable.”
Toews made a statement through the team on Feb. 19 saying he would be stepping away because of the effects of chronic immune response syndrome and “long COVID.”
After training on his own, Toews returned to the ice with teammates in a practice session on Tuesday. In a meeting with reporters after the skate, he hinted his stellar NHL career could be winding down after 15 years and stopped short of saying he planned to play in any of last-place Chicago’s remaining games.
Toews’ eight-year, $84 million contract is set to expire at the end of the season. Patrick Kane, his longtime teammate who won three Stanley Cup titles in Chicago, was also on an expiring deal when he was dealt to the New York Rangers this season.
“It was good to have him back,” coach Luke Richardson said of Toews. “I thought he was a big presence on the bench, very vocal, and made a nice play.”
Toews, the Blackhawks’ first-round draft pick (third overall) in 2006, joined the team in 2007 and was a pillar of those title-winning clubs in 2010, 2013 and 2015.
At the peak of his career, he was one of the NHL’s top two-way centers, winning the Selke Trophy as the league’s top defensive forward in 2013.
In 1,060 regular-season games, Toews has 371 goals and 509 assists. In 139 playoff games, he’s posted 45 goals and 74 assists, and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010.
Toews missed the entire 2020-21 season with chronic immune response syndrome, which causes debilitating inflammation and fatigue. He appeared in 71 games in 2021-22.
Toews started this season with renewed energy before slowing and eventually shutting himself down. He has 14 goals and 15 assists in 47 games.
Last season with the Cardinals, he started 23 games and had a 7-4 record with a 3.84 ERA, throwing 117⅓ innings and striking out 109.
The two-time All-Star has a career record of 143-99 with a 3.74 ERA in 364 games (340 starts), tossing 2,006⅓ innings. He ranks sixth in that category, as well as in wins, among active pitchers. Ahead of him in each category are three sure Hall of Famers — Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw.
Lynn, on Tuesday, made it clear that he may be spotted on the baseball field … just not in a major league game.
“There might be something a little fun around the corner upcoming weekend, so stayed tuned,” Lynn said. “But from Major League Baseball, I am done pitching.”
NEW YORK — Right-hander reliever Adam Ottavino is returning to the New York Yankees, agreeing Tuesday to a one-year contract.
A 39-year-old sidearmer, Ottavino agreed to a minor league contract with Boston on Feb. 18 and exercised his right to be released on March 23 after compiling a 10.80 ERA in five spring training appearances.
He was 2-2 with one save and a 4.34 ERA in 60 relief appearances for the New York Mets last year, stranding 15 of 20 inherited runners.
Ottavino pitched for the Yankees in 2019 and ’20, going 8-8 with a 2.76 ERA in 97 relief appearances. He is 41-43 with 46 saves and a 3.49 ERA in 14 big league seasons with St. Louis, Colorado (2012-18), the Yankees (2019-20), Boston (2021) and the Mets (2022-24).
The Yankees transferred right-hander JT Brubaker to the 60-day injured list and placed closer Devin Williams on the paternity list.
The NHL began handing out the Presidents’ Trophy to the team with the best regular-season record beginning in the 1985-86 campaign. In its history, it has been awarded 37 times to 18 clubs.
Those teams have been anything but a shoo-in to win the Stanley Cup, however. Just two clubs in the salary cap era (since 2005-06) have won the Presidents’ Trophy and hoisted the Stanley Cup: the 2007-08 Detroit Red Wings and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks. Two of the past six Presidents’ Trophy winners have lost in the first round.
So, that’s the challenge ahead for whomever claims the trophy this season. At this juncture, it appears to have been whittled down to one of two teams: the Winnipeg Jets (with 106 points through 74 games) or the Washington Capitals (103 through 73).
From an overall strength of schedule standpoint, the Jets have a more difficult route. According to Stathletes, the win percentage of their remaining opponents is 51.3%, which is 12th toughest. Compare that to 47.3% — the 28th toughest — for the Capitals.
Despite that, Stathletes gives Winnipeg the edge, projecting the Jets for 115.9 points and the Caps for 114.7. It appears this race will come down to the very end!
There are less than three weeks left until season’s end on April 17, and we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Points: 87 Regulation wins: 30 Playoff position: WC2 Games left: 7 Points pace: 95.1 Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 95.5% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 78 Regulation wins: 25 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 86.4 Next game: vs. CGY (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 0.5% Tragic number: 8
Points: 62 Regulation wins: 23 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 68.7 Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Points: 51 Regulation wins: 18 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 56.5 Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
Points: 98 Regulation wins: 42 Playoff position: P1 Games left: 9 Points pace: 110.1 Next game: vs. EDM (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 91 Regulation wins: 36 Playoff position: P3 Games left: 9 Points pace: 102.2 Next game: vs. WPG (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 99.9% Tragic number: N/A
Points: 81 Regulation wins: 26 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 8 Points pace: 89.8 Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday) Playoff chances: 3.3% Tragic number: 11
Points: 72 Regulation wins: 23 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 9 Points pace: 80.9 Next game: vs. SJ (Tuesday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: 4
Points: 68 Regulation wins: 25 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 7 Points pace: 74.4 Next game: @ VAN (Wednesday) Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Points: 49 Regulation wins: 14 Playoff position: N/A Games left: 9 Points pace: 55.0 Next game: @ ANA (Tuesday Playoff chances: 0% Tragic number: E
Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.