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."
There are rumblings Chicago is working on a potential Duncan Keith trade to either the Pacific Northwest or Western Canada. Word is Keith and team are working together to get him to a place he wants to go. We will see where this goes.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 30, 2021
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.
Duncan Keith, potentially headed to Western Canada in a trade, has had a very difficult past few seasons playing big minutes for the Blackhawks. To say the least. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/dM1iiRHaet
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 30, 2021
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.