Five years ago, if you asked any hockey fan on who the best player in the NHL was, they would be close to unanimous in their answer. It’s Sidney Crosby. The guy became the youngest captain to ever win a Stanley Cup in 2009. He also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy along with Steven Stamkos thanks to his 51 goals, capping off a year where he scored 109 points.
With all of the success Crosby was having, it was easy to overlook another young captain making a name for himself, Jonathan Toews. He became the youngest captain to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for best playoff performer after winning the Stanley Cup in 2010. Former Montreal and Colorado star goalie Patrick Roy was younger when he won his first Conn Smythe, but he was not the captain of the team like Toews was and still is.
Fast forward to today, and Toews is again in the Stanley Cup Finals, looking for his third title. So, what makes him such a good captain? What makes me believe that he is the best player in the NHL right now?
An easy example of his abilities would be the last game he played, Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the Anaheim Ducks. In his two early first period goals, he showed why he is such a feared offensive force. His first goal came after he aggressively attacked the net, roughly two minutes into the game. When Anaheim goalie Frederik Andersen gave up a rebound, Toews was in perfect position to pounce. He was able to score off the rebound, even while an Anaheim defender was body checking him. His abilities as a power forward allowed him to wreak havoc on a physical defense that makes it difficult for teams to score goals in the slot.
About 10 minutes later on the power play, Toews second goal showcased his offensive awareness. Toews first set the play up from the boards, passing it to a teammate on the blue line. He then drifted his way to the top of the circle, where he knew that Anderson’s vision would be blocked by traffic in front. Teammate Brad Richards saw Toews was in the right position, and delivered a cross-ice pass to Toews, who shot a laser into the corner of the net while Anderson was trying to look around the bodies in front.
Toews offensive abilities are almost a paradox. He is a power forward who relies on his finesse skill set. He is a pass first player who also has a precise shot. Even with these skills, it’s not his offense that he is known for.
Toews ability as a two way forward is what has constantly gotten him praise in his career. Since 2009, Toews has finished with a 21+/- or better. In these playoffs alone, he has shown that he can cover almost any player. Against the Minnesota Wild, he had to be a good enough skater to keep up with Zach Parise and against the Anaheim Ducks had to be physical enough to stop Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler in front of the net.
He is also a nominee for the Frank Selke Trophy for best defensive forward this year, an award he won in 2013. The list of current players who have won the award are Toews, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrice Bergeron and Ryan Kesler. The only player who hasn't won a Stanley Cup of those four players is Ryan Kesler, who Toews just beat in the Western Conference Finals.
He also has received close to unanimous praise from teammates for his abilities as a captain. He comes up big again and again when it matters the most, earning him the nickname Captain Clutch. Here are his stats in closeout games this postseason:
Nashville: 1G, 2A, 3P
Minnesota: 2A, 2P
Anaheim: 2G, 2P
Seven of his 18 playoff points have come in closeout games. He has also shown the ability to dictate the pace of play. In the first three games, he played more defensive minded and only 13 goals were scored. In the last four games, he scored five goals and the games were higher scoring with 33 goals. The fact that his play can affect the pace of scoring shows how great of a player he really is, and why he is the best player in the NHL right now.