Maybe Toews will become a top scoring center after Quenneville, but I’m not banking on that either.
I think the Hawks are getting lucky that Schmaltz is blossoming into the type of center who can put up first line center offense, and don’t necessarily need Toews to provide that anymore.
Toews can still play a key role on this team, but I’m no longer convinced he needs to be the top offensive center.
Seeing what Vegas’ smaller first line continues to do in these playoffs has me convinced a DeBrincat-Schmaltz-Kane first line could also work in this current league. DeBrincat plays bigger than his size, Schmaltz is solid to good defensively and has an elite stick check, Kane is Kane.
A Hinostroza-Toews-Saad second line is not bad. Toews and Saad still have an important role as the top PK unit, while providing supplemental offense in 5v5 and PP time.
I’m just done holding my breathe for a Toews rebound, and I’m to the point of accepting that he is what he is. It was harder to accept before watching this Vegas team, but now I don’t feel so sick about it.