Jonathan Toews recent comments about the Blackhawks rebuild are heartbreaking

«I'm not going to say, hey, look at that, look at how the grass could be greener on the other side,» Toews said Tuesday in a conversation with The Athletic. «But when you go through a couple of tough seasons like this, it definitely puts things in perspective and reminds you how good you had it when things were all clicking and the stars aligned for us. It kind of breaks your heart to think that way, to remember how crazy and how exciting it is in this city to play for these fans when we're on top. But this is a different stage in life, where the challenges are different, and you do the best you can.»


«When we traded Hags, and then Cat and Kirby, reality really set in that, OK, this is where we're at, and they've got to really focus on the future,» Toews said. «And it's just unfortunate that it's come to that. But it is what it is. So much of that stuff has been out of my control for quite some time, and it's a weird place to be in as a captain. It's hard to tell, sometimes, what should be your concern and what shouldn't be, aside from just playing your game. So my head is here, thinking about what's right in front of me, what the next day or the next game or the next challenge is. These last few years have taught me to be in the moment and cut out the things that I really can't control, and to just focus my energy on what I can control so I can really enjoy the game from there.»

«At the end of the day, we're talking about a five-plus-year process, according to Kyle,» Toews said. «So that part of it doesn't sound appealing to me at all. I can't speak for Kaner, but I definitely feel that the amount of turnover our team has gone through every single year these last three or four years, that's where it gets really, really draining. And exhausting. You have a guy like Alex DeBrincat who was under Kaner's wing. And I like to think that Kirby and I had that bond in some ways, too. And out they go, out the door. Over and over, we've seen that turnover. I'm learning to be more patient, but there's no doubt that timeline is pretty daunting, and pretty exhausting to think about. So I'm not going to sit here and say what I'm going to do or what the future holds for me, because I really don't know.»