After weeks of rumors and speculation, the Chicago Blackhawks have reportedly traded Duncan Keith to the Edmonton Oilers.
According to multiple media reports, the return is defenseman Caleb Jones and a mid-round pick. Despite speculation that it would happen, Chicago has reportedly not retained any salary in the transaction.
Keith to CHI for Caleb Jones and a third. No salary retained.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 12, 2021
There appears to be some mystery regarding that draft pick, as ESPN reporter Greg Wyshynski followed up with this report:
Some intrigue on the Duncan Keith trade: The third-rounder headed to Chicago with Caleb Jones is a conditional pick, with conditions forthcoming when the deal is NHL approved. The Oilers don’t have a 3rd in 2021, FWIW.
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) July 12, 2021
Ben Pope of the Sun-Times suggested more players could be involved in the deal, too.
I’m also told there are some minor players/contracts involved in the trade.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) July 12, 2021
Assuming those minor contracts don’t involve any key Chicago prospects, this deal feels like a massive win for the Blackhawks, who shed the final two years of Keith’s $5,538,462 AAV, which frees up some additional cap space to make a bigger splash in the offseason. Adding Jones also adds another young blue-liner to Chicago’s glutton of prospects at that position.
But that’s secondary to what’s happened with this deal, which ends the second-longest career in Blackhawks history. Keith played in 1,192 regular season games for the Blackhawks, second only to Stan Mikita’s 1,396. During those 16 seasons, Keith skated in the Stanley Cup Playoffs 10 times, adding another 135 games to Keith’s well-worn tires.
The accolades are as long as that of any NHL player:
- Three-time Stanley Cup winner
- three-time All-Star
- two-time Norris Trophy winner as the league’s best defenseman
- two Olympic gold medals
- 2015 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP
It’ll take some time to find the right words to properly convey express Keith’s legacy with this franchise. Right now, it’s another piece of that vaunted Blackhawks core from the 2010s who’s now a former member of the team.
And that realization stings a little more every time it happens.
