Using the Philadelphia Flyers’ pick in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL draft, the New York Islanders selected Quinnipiac University defenseman, Devon Toews. He went on to play two more NCAA seasons before playing a full season in Bridgeport in 2016-17. His next AHL season was shortened by a shoulder injury in December. Toews came into training camp in 2018 with a chance to make the main roster but was cut and sent back to Bridgeport.
Toews didn’t have to wait long after that to make his NHL debut, however; a December injury to Thomas Hickey gave him an opportunity to prove his worth in the NHL. In 48 games, Toews put up 18 points while averaging just under 18 minutes per game. He established chemistry with Scott Mayfield as the duo created a balanced defense pair. As a nod to the player he replaced, Toews’ first career NHL goal was an overtime winner. That goal came against the Chicago Blackhawks, captained by Jonathan Toews.

The Good:

After beating out Thomas Hickey through the end of the 2018-19 season and the 2019 training camp, Devon Toews has been used equally to the rest of the defense, averaging about 20 minutes per game. Barry Trotz rolling the defense pairs has demonstrated his trust in the 26-year-old. He is second on the team in points by a defenseman and has seen power-play minutes.

The Bad:

Despite more ice time and opportunity, Toews’ possession numbers have dropped slightly this season. He also hasn’t been as noticeable on the ice as he was last year. That’s partly because he was under the microscope last year due to the mid-season call up but it’s a little concerning for a player of his style. Someone who is a strong skater and two-way defenseman should be in on every play but Toews has jumped up on the play less this season than last year. He’s also been a little bit streaky in the points department with two eight-plus game droughts not including the four-game road trip where the Islanders scored two total goals.

The Expectations:

Toews came into the season with some pretty high expectations. After taking the fanbase almost by storm in his first year, Toews was expected to take a big step and add production where an occasionally struggling Nick Leddy falters. His abilities to jump up on the rush and backcheck in time to defend a counterattack gave him the tools to be an ideal two-way defenseman next to stay-at-home Scott Mayfield.

The Moment of the Season:

The defending champion St. Louis Blues visited NYCB Live: home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on October 14 to face an Islanders team that was struggling out of the gate. St. Louis was the better team for the first 56 or so minutes, scoring twice before Brock Nelson ended Jordan Binnington’s shutout bid with 5:31 to play in the third. A strange bounce with 27 seconds left turned into the game-tying goal and Mat Barzal’s first tally of the season. The Islanders, surprisingly, made it to overtime. That’s when, just over a minute in, Barzal circled the cage and fed Toews who blasted home the one-time game-winner.

The important start to this play is Brock Nelson ripping a shot off of the back of Alex Pietrangelo’s leg. With the Blues’ captain on one leg, the Islanders have the advantage. A drop pass from Toews to Barzal send Barzal around the zone with speed. All three St. Louis players puck watch as he goes around the net and Nelson goes to the bench. Toews, meanwhile, slides into the slot. As Barzal comes around the net, all three defenders are on the wrong side of the ice creating an open pass to Toews who slams home the game-winner.

The Verdict:

In a season where he was expected to grow and maybe become the player that Leddy used to be, Devon Toews didn’t make a huge jump. He made an impact for sure, just not the one that was expected of him. Maybe a bridge deal this off-season motivates him to break out in 2020-21.

The Grade: B/84

John Smark