Jonathan Toews had my phone in his hand, zooming in on and toggling between the bar graphs on the screen, trying to interpret them all.



He squinted at the red and blue lines. When the result registered and the math hit home, Toews’ voice shot up an octave.



“That’s huge!” he exclaimed. “Cags, look at this.”



Toews turned the screen to Drake Caggiula in the next locker stall, and the two huddled together. On it was a glimpse into a different life. One with fewer late-night flights and 3 a.m. bedtimes. One with fewer one-off trips to Winnipeg and home-and-homes with Colorado. One in which the Blackhawks wouldn’t make three separate trips to New York to play teams that reside within 20 miles of each other. One in which players were more rested, healthier and playing a better brand of hockey.



This is the life Toews envisions. This is the improved NHL he dreams of.



A completely reimagined schedule was his...