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How Do the Blackhawks Replace Jonathan Toews? They Don't – Sports Illustrated

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4 years ago

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After hearing about the illness that will sideline Jonathan Toews indefinitely, is there any possible way we can just dispense with the last three days of 2021 and go directly to 2021? This annus horribilis has done quite enough damage in 363 days, thank you very much. And of course it would have to be a leap year because we needed an extra day of suffering in 2020 like we needed a Shea Weber slapshot to the mid-section.

First Henrik Lundqvist and now Toews, two of the most respected players in the game today. In a couple of days, we won’t be ringing in 2021 as much as we’ll be ringing out 2020. And there is not a person in the game who doesn’t wish Toews a speedy recovery and a return to good health.

The Chicago Blackhawks, meanwhile, must be wondering exactly what they did to merit this much misfortune. You see, the Blackhawks were not a very good team before Toews was removed from the lineup. And not even a week ago, an innocuous collision at mid-ice in a World Junior Championship tune-up game cost them the services of Kirby Dach for the next four-to-five months with a wrist injury. Throw in Alex Nylander, who is out four-to-six months with a knee injury and a team that was already suffering from a dearth of NHL talent on its roster has been dealt a trio of body blows.

Suddenly, the Blackhawks are faced with a center ice corps that consists of Dylan Strome, David Kampf and Lucas Wallmark. Undrafted 24-year-old Pius Suter, a point-per-game player in Switzerland last season, now gets a chance to prove he can be another Artemi Panarin or Dominik Kubalik, players the Hawks plucked out of Europe who turned out to be terrific NHL players.

The Hawks, of course, will have all kinds of cap space if they have to go out and get a center, especially if they put Toews on the long-term injured list. Even with Toews, they’re already more than $4 million under the salary cap for this season. And at just $1.85 million committed to Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban, the Hawks are devoting less cap space in goaltending than all but a couple of teams have committed to their No. 1 goalie. Of course, their goalies are Collin Delia and Malcolm Subban, which is part of the reason why things look so grim for them this season.

This season, the Blackhawks will play in the revamped Central Division and they would have almost certainly finished last in that division, with or without Toews and Dach. But now there’s a very real possibility they’ll be seriously in the mix for the first pick overall and wouldn’t Owen Power be a fine addition to that defense corps? But let’s not stop there. If Toews’ career is in jeopardy, the Blackhawks stand an excellent chance as constituted to land the first pick overall in 2022, where Shane Wright is the top prize. Imagine that. The Blackhawks haven’t had two young franchise-altering prospects since the drafted Toews third overall in 2006 and Patrick Kane first overall the next year.

Over the summer, GM Stan Bowman tried to convince Blackhawk fans – and their star players – that they were not going all-in on a teardown and rebuild, that there would be pain, but a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of building had already been done. And that was met by a fair amount of skepticism in many parts, particularly among those who saw the Blackhawks as a very long way away from once again being a contender. And that was with Toews, Kane and Duncan Keith in the lineup. Remove Toews from that equation and you no longer have to worry about carrying on that façade.

So how do you replace Jonathan Toews? Well, if you’re the Blackhawks, you probably don’t. And if his career is in jeopardy, do you not get to the point where you look at a complete teardown, knowing full well that the last time you bottomed out it set you up to build a team that won three Stanley Cups in a six-year span? (And that would have almost certainly been four had they not lost in overtime of Game 7 of the Western Conference final to the Los Angeles Kings to cap a series that was one of the most entertaining in NHL history.)

Kane has a no-move clause in his contract that has this season and two more left on it at a team-friendly cap hit of $10.5 million. But don’t the Blackhawks owe it to themselves and Kane to at least explore whether he might like to try to win another Cup or two before the end of his career? If Kane continues to be a top-10 scorer in the NHL and one of its most dynamic talents, there would be a conga line of teams willing to give up multiple draft picks, prospects and young players to get him. And it wouldn’t sully Kane’s legacy one bit. If players in the history of that franchise deserve to get a statue in front of the United Center, it’s Toews and Kane.

The Blackhawks were not a good team and they were made much worse in the past week. So if you’re trying to build another quasi-dynasty, now is the time to make some very important, but difficult decisions. 

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Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

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23 hours ago

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November 8, 2024

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LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

___

AP cricket:

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Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

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23 hours ago

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November 8, 2024

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RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

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23 hours ago

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November 8, 2024

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Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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