Report: Blackhawks working with Keith on trade closer to family

It appears Duncan Keith's days with the Chicago Blackhawks could be numbered.

"One of the things that Chicago is doing is they are working with Keith now to try and facilitate a trade to either the Pacific Northwest or western Canada," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported during the second intermission of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final.

He added: "Now we'll see where this goes, but Keith has family in western Canada and he'd like to go closer there. The Blackhawks are trying to work with him to get it done."

Keith has two seasons remaining on the 13-year, $72-million contract he signed with the Blackhawks in 2009. The deal carries a full no-movement clause and an annual cap hit of $5.54 million, though there's only $3.6 million remaining in actual salary, according to CapFriendly.

The future Hall of Famer's play has declined of late. He recorded just 15 points in 54 games during the 2020-21 campaign while averaging 23:25 per contest. The underlying numbers weren't great, either.

Keith is from Winnipeg, Manitoba, but his family lives in Penticton, British Columbia, according to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times.

The teams that fit the criteria include the Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, and perhaps the San Jose Sharks.

Keith has spent his entire 16-year career in the Windy City. He's won three Stanley Cups, two Norris Trophies, and a Conn Smythe Trophy.