Jonathan Toews speaks candidly on his future as a Blackhawk

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Sam Hutch
March 19, 2022 (2:15 PM)

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The Chicago Blackhawks have had a rough year in and away from the rink. The Hawks are a team that has not only been marred in controversy this season but also a poor product on the ice. With that comes inevitable moves ahead or on the National Hockey League's trade deadline for a Chicago team that is in for pain while trying to be once again competitive.

The latest domino to fall was winger, Brandon Hagel, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday.

According to The Athletic's Mark Lazerus, long-time Chicago captain, Jonathan Toews is not too happy Hagel isn't part of the future with the Blackhawks. So much so he might be questioning his future in the Windy City, the place he's called home for 15 years.

Yeah, if Hags is the guy to get traded, if he's not a guy that's a part of a rebuild, then I don't know. I don't know if anyone feels safe at this point, with the way he's been playing and what he's meant to our team. I had a hard time thinking in my mind that he would be one of the guys to get shipped off, considering what he brought in. Yeah, that was a tough one to see. I'm pretty shocked, for sure.

Strong words from Captain Serious there, he seemingly takes a veiled shot at newly appointed General Manager Kyle Davidson, again in regards to the Hagel trade.

I can't really comment on that, other than what happened with Hags today. I haven't spoken with Kyle. I haven't gotten any specifics from him. But, yeah, like you said, that makes it pretty clear that we're in this for the long haul. Reality definitely sank in with that one.

One thing is clear: Toews isn't happy with the team's current direction. although his answer, when asked about his future in a Blackhawks uniform, didn't inspire a lot of confidence that he would be willing to go down with what appears to be an already sinking ship

Again, I'll leave it at what I just said. My main goal is just getting back on top of my game, and my health and my performance. It's just been a process this last year of taking baby steps in the right direction. I feel like I'm doing that. So that has to be my primary focus, to get back to a place where I feel like I'm in control of my own destiny, then maybe we'll start evaluating what the future looks like. So, we'll see.