Jets’ Toews already making an impact

PHILADELPHIA — The signposts have been there for all to see.

With each passing day in this remarkable return to NHL action, Jonathan Toews is piling up small victories.

Although it’s still very early in the process, Toews is already well past the point of wondering what he’s gotten himself into — or if he’s up to the task.

Any concerns about where two-and-a-half years away from the sport he loves for health reasons might leave him are being alleviated.

Does that mean the Winnipeg Jets centre is already up to full speed just three games into the NHL season?

Absolutely not, but the latest example of his value to his new team showed up in Monday’s 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders.

The Jets took Tuesday off and will be back in action on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The secondary assist on Nino Niederreiter’s power-play marker was merely a reward for the hard work Toews has been putting in on and off the ice.

On the play itself, Toews showed his veteran savvy, lifting the stick of Islanders defenceman Adam Pelech at the side of the net before getting the puck over to Gustav Nyquist.

By winning that individual battle, it allowed Nyquist the time required to find Niederreiter alone on the backdoor, leading to a shot that caromed in off Ilya Sorokin, giving the Jets a 2-0 advantage just past the midway point of the first period.

When Toews was reminded that it was his first NHL point since Apr. 14 of 2023, he smiled briefly and took some time to recognize the significance of the moment while not overstating it.

“I guess when you put it that way, it’s nice to get the monkey off your back,” said Toews. “Hopefully find a way to get that first goal here, too. Ultimately, you just concentrate on making plays, getting around the net, being more confident when the puck comes to you in those dangerous areas. It’s a numbers game. Just got to keep creating and find ways to find the back of the net.”

That creativity has been on display throughout the first three games of Toews’ second act, especially on the power play, where his spatial awareness and vision has allowed him to put the puck in positions for his teammates to create lanes to attack.

For a team looking to be better in the face-off circle this season, Toews put on a clinic on Monday, winning 15 draws and losing only five for a 75 per cent efficiency rate.

That moved him to 33-for-53 on the season (62.3 per cent, which is even better than his 57.3 per cent career average).

Though the sample size is small, it’s clear that Toews is going to have his number called to take important draws — just like he was on Monday, when the Jets were protecting a two-goal cushion before an empty-net goal from Mark Scheifele sealed things.

For all of those questions about whether or not Toews’ body would allow him to handle the minutes and responsibilities of a second-line centre, the early returns have been solid.

In Monday’s game, Toews actually played a season-high 19:51, which was nearly two minutes more than he played in the season opener.

He’s averaging 17:45 of ice time and you get the sense that the Winnipegger is merely scratching the surface when it comes to all of the areas he can impact the game as he becomes more familiar with his new teammates.

Of course it’s early and Toews has a long way to go to withstand the rigours of a full NHL season, but the challenge for Jets head coach Scott Arniel has been to not put too much on his plate too soon.

When you have a player like Toews at your disposal that has basically seen it all and done it all through the first 15 NHL seasons of his career, there’s an undeniable pull for Arniel to tap the veteran centre on the shoulder and send him out for a big moment.

Whether that’s protecting a lead, looking for the go-ahead marker or trying to get the tie game to overtime, Toews is going to be up for the challenge.

“He’s recognizing just how to kind of play the game (again) with his hockey smarts. He’s getting back up to speed,” said Arniel. “He does veteran things. He does elite things, whether it’s using his body or his stick or his positioning and you’re just seeing him getting more and more comfortable: getting comfortable with our team and how we play but also his linemates and different people, as well.”

With Cole Perfetti sidelined week-to-week with an ankle injury, there’s probably some temptation for Arniel to promote Toews to the top power-play unit in the pop position in the high slot.

That job currently belongs to Alex Iafallo and he scored the first power-play goal of the season on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Toews has done that job in the past and could do it again, though it would likely mean raising his ice time a bit more.

For the time being, it’s probably best to gradually ramp things up.

There are bound to be bumps in the road and Toews has admitted as much, but it’s another part of the journey that is enjoyable for him.

Dealing with adversity and finding solutions is part of the job — and Toews’ track record suggests he’ll be ready to dissect things and make the necessary corrections.

In fact, he’s already doing that.

“Still finding my way a little bit,” said Toews, noting the adjustment to a new system has been progressing in. “It takes time to become second-nature. And then, you have to find your game, you’ve got to go out there and relax a little bit. The first couple games I felt like I was getting tired late in shifts, because you’re just over-skating everything and over-working yourself. You’d rather be safe than sorry, and sometimes less is more.”

The true measure of Toews’ value will be even more evident when the stakes are higher and the games get tougher, though his play in the early going is already providing a glimpse of what is yet to come.

ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca

X and Bluesky: @WiebesWorld