Jonathan Toews somewhat under radar on NHL draft day when he went No. 3

The worry for Blackhawks fans on June 24, 2006, was that the team had passed on potential stars and instead drafted relative unknown Jonathan Toews.

With the third pick in the NHL draft that year, then-general manager Dale Tallon said Toews was the player on his radar all along, one worth selecting ahead of Phil Kessel, who was projected as a "game-breaker with outstanding speed," according to a Tribune report the next day.

Tallon, however, raved about Toews.

"He's a potential captain," he said.

Yet for a player who likely will go down as one of the best athletes to compete in Chicago, Toews' beginning with the Hawks was notably understated.

News of the Hawks selecting him appeared in a 528-word article halfway down Page 3 of the Tribune sports section on June 25, below an article on the voluntary nature of the Bears' offseason workouts. Five paragraphs were devoted to explaining why the Hawks didn't trade for Chris Pronger.

Toews and the Hawks obviously have come a long way in terms of their stature in Chicago.

Toews, who was just 18, marveled at the idea of playing with teammates such as Cam Barker, Dave Bolland, Michael Blunden and Dan Bertram players he quickly surpassed in terms of productivity, impact and stardom.

"It's pretty cool to put on the Hawks jersey one day with those guys," Toews said on draft day.

Tallon told the Tribune he had targeted seven players that day, including Toews, whom the Tribune mentioned only one time in the preview, grouping him with two other possible draftees.

Swedish center Nicklas Backstrom was considered a prime target along with Jordan Staal, the brother of NHL player Eric Staal, and Kessel.

Toews had played just one season at North Dakota, scoring 22 goals and registering 39 points in 42 games. The Tribune article questioned whether Toews would be ready to play in the NHL or need more time in college.

"It's my dream to play in the NHL," Toews said. "Things went well at North Dakota this year, and I improved so much during the course of the season that another season there wouldn't hurt me."

Of course, neither would playing in the NHL, where he led all rookies with 24 goals the next season.

Tallon keenly noticed the talent Hawks fans embrace now.

"He plays error-free hockey," Tallon told the Tribune. "He's a character kid on and off the ice. He plays both ends of the ice extremely well."

Toews embodied what was called the "new NHL," according to a June 24 article previewing the draft. Teams were beginning to give priority to speed and skill rather than size, Tallon said.

At that time the jury was still out on Toews and how quickly he would help the Hawks.

The Tribune wrote: "Whether he is ready to play in Chicago next season for a team woefully in need of just about everything remains to be seen."

sryan@tribpub.com

Twitter @sryantribune

Copyright 2015, Chicago Tribune

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-flashback-jonathan-toews-draft-spt-0419-20150418-story.html