Chicago Blackhawks will ask Duncan Keith if he wants to be traded

Could Duncan Keith be moved from the Chicago Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks appear ready to embrace a rebuild. They want their team to get younger so they can contend in the near future. According to Pierre LeBrun, the Blackhawks are prepared to ask Duncan Keith what he wants to do.

He has a no-movement clause, so he has to OK any trade. But will Keith want to move on? He has a family and they seem to love Chicago. But at the same time, Keith might be ready to be traded to a contender so he can try to win a fourth Stanley Cup. That would really cement his legacy and transform him from a “likely” Hall of Fame player to a “slam dunk” Hall of Fame player.

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Keith has earned his right to decide his future. He’s a Blackhawks legend who helped take the franchise out of an era of mediocrity and helped end a long Stanley Cup drought. Keith has four years remaining on his deal after this one with a cap hit of $5.538462 million.

It’s likely the Blackhawks would have to retain some salary on his deal to make it work if they trade him at the deadline. However, an offseason trade would make the finances a Keith trade much easier for both sides.

A trade for him likely won’t cost too much. After all, Keith has all the leverage thanks to his no-movement clause. And the Blackhawks rightfully seem willing to accommodate any request he makes. They want a younger blueline. Trading Keith would allow them to give a permanent roster spot to youngster Henri Jokiharju, who has 12 points in 37 games in the NHL this season.

Potential Suitors

It’s hard to tell where Keith would want to go. But one can assume he’d only want to be traded to a Stanley Cup contender. Why else would Keith move his family from Chicago? It wouldn’t be a matter of who wants him, but rather where he wants to go.

The New York Islanders would be an interesting destination for him. They could use a three-time Stanley Cup champion as a veteran leader. And the Islanders blueline could use some help despite their impressive defensive numbers.

Before the Jake Muzzin trade, the Toronto Maple Leafs might have made sense. But even before then, it would have been pushing it. Now it seems impossible. Keith’s old friend Dale Tallon is the general manager of the Florida Panthers and the two teams have done business before. So maybe there’s some interest there.

For updated NHL trade rumors, be sure to check out our Rumors page.