While Toews doesn't have a specific date of return on his mind, he want to continue building his energy and working with the team and try to make that moment a reality.
As for head coach Luke Richardson, having the captain back on the ice brings a different presence into the locker room. With a team of mostly new faces, the veteran Blackhawk can bring his leadership knowledge and help others on the team as they step into different roles.
"It was great to have him in there," Richardson said. "Just [to have] his presence in the room for the meetings and on the ice and just talking to him about helping [Athanasiou] with some face off tips and stuff like that. So, it's great to have the leader back in there and hopefully this progresses to the next stage."
Tyler Johnson described the persona that Toews brings into the room that provides a different energy for the team. When he enters the room, it gives the team a new joy to their faces and hope that he can rejoin them soon.
"He's a guy that, at least for me, every time I see him, I just smile," Johnson said. "He has that persona. He has that 'it' about him that just makes everyone a little bit happier, so it was great to see him around. We've been seeing him in the locker room here and there. But hopefully he continues to feel better, and we'd love to get him back on with us full time here."
While he admitted that it was a difficult decision to pull himself away from the game, he knew he had to step away not only for his physical health, but mentally as well. With a fast-paced sport and constant travel to different cities, he felt that the needed to put his health first before it was decided for him.
After hearing that the 34-year-old forward struggled within the month of January, Richardson and the coaching staff talked with the training staff to see what could be done to help the veteran leader. Moving forward, Richardson wants to help the captain return to the ice at his speed with the help of the medical staff.
"He deserves anything that he wants to try and achieve here," Richardson said. "We're going to try and help him get that [next step]. He's an iconic player here in the city and in this franchise. So, for us to help them him in way we can, and we've tried to do that throughout this process."