Chicago was 17-13-5 at the time of Crawford's injury but went 16-26-5 the rest of the season. General manager Stan Bowman reiterated Tuesday that Crawford should be ready for training camp in September. The Blackhawks signed free agent Cam Ward on July 1 for goalie depth.
"There's a number of problems that were magnified with the way the season went last year," Toews said. "We're all looking at those things that came to the surface last year. We don't want to put ourselves in a situation where we rely on a goaltender as much as we did the previous couple of years. And when Corey is ready, and if he's ready to get back to where he was when he left us in December, we're going to be a better team for it. It's up to us to try and fill those voids while we can."
Toews has experienced a lot of success in his 10 years as captain, including three Stanley Cup championships (2010, 2013, 2015). He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he had 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 22 games. He won the Selke Trophy as the top defensive forward in the NHL in 2013.
Like any captain when he reflects on the past, Toews expects more in the future.
"For me it's part of just recapturing that energy, that motivation, excitement and that mindset of a young player who takes nothing for granted that you had in your younger days, but also carrying the experience with you and understanding the impact of what you say, what you do, that how you carry yourself can impact your teammates, especially the young guys," Toews said. "For me it comes down to knowing what to say at the right time, but letting my play be the thing that helps me lead by example.
"No better time than now to use that experience and that excitement trying to rebound off the season we had last year."