Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks will be out of the lineup for the second straight game Thursday against Dallas. The team is running the standard "upper body injury" up the flagpole as the cause, but have been typically vague in discussions with the media.
Suspicions of the Blackhawks captain suffering from concussion-like symptoms are gaining a foothold.
We've been told that the malady is unrelated to last month's hand issues that caused him to miss the All-Star game. Just what is wrong with Toews was not pinpointed.
Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times reported that Joel Quenneville told the media that Toews was progressing and could possibly be skating by Friday before the 'Hawks leave for a short West Coast swing.
Asked if Toews is suffering from a concussion or something different, Quenneville said, "We're upper-body and that's where we're at with it."
That's far from confirmation, though if Quenneville wanted to put the speculation of a concussion to rest, it seems that he had ample opportunity to do so.
Toews played the full game in Chicago's 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday afternoon, though he hasn't been seen on the ice since that contest ended.
"[I'm] not getting too much into specifics," Quenneville said. "I think it was something that we talked about after the game."
Apparently, "too much" is divulging any specifics concerning Toews' injury.
It's a possibility that Toews is either nursing a shoulder or rib injury, both of which fit under the "upper body" umbrella. It is important to point out, however, that the Blackhawks have not exactly been a model franchise in dealing with concussions.
This is the organization that let Brent Seabrook wobble around the ice last spring after taking a hit that led to his being helped off just moments before.
Chicago rushed rookie Marcus Kruger back into action after a head shot back on December 21st, leading to his being out for eight additional games with concussion symptoms.
This medical staff diagnosed Niklas Hjalmarsson with the flu before changing the diagnosis to concussion symptoms.
To come out and state that the team is hiding a concussion would be irresponsible without knowing with certainty the extent of the injury. However, concern of the organization playing it fast and loose in regards to head injuries would not be unwarranted going over recent events.
For now, we know that Toews is making progress from whatever is ailing him. It also looks like Hjalmarsson may be back in action Thursday against the Stars after missing seven games.
Toews has suffered a concussion before. Back in the early stages of the 2009-10 season, he missed six games as the result of a hit from Willie Mitchell. Players recover differently with head injuries, so it's hard to say what the timetable would be if Toews did have a concussion.
What isn't a secret is that Toews is not only the face of the franchise, but it's heart and soul as well. With that knowledge, I hope the organization keeps the big picture in mind if Toews is experiencing concussion symptoms.
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