Edmonton Oilers: The Keith trade finally happened, now what?
By Phil Gretzky
But….
WHY OH WHY DIDN’T THE OILERS INSIST THE HAWKS RETAIN SALARY IN THE TRADE?
After all, Hawks GM Stan Bowman had literally no leverage in this trade. His player had a NMC, so he could determine where he went. He only wanted four teams, and two of them said no right away. The other one was an expansion team that Keith would be unlikely to want to go to. That left him with only one team, the Oilers. Chicago would’ve had to protect him in the expansion draft, but the Oilers didn’t need him as urgently as the Hawks needed to get rid of him.
Not to mention the player has been a declining asset for multiple years now and isn’t the player he once was, not unusual at all for a player of 38 (by the time the season starts).
Bowman seems to be stuck in the past and is a bit delusional in valuing his players. After all, he asked for Ethan Bear or Ryan Mcleod in the initial stages of negotiation, or so the rumor goes.
Holland is not trading for Duncan Keith the guy who won three cups, two Norris trophies, and a Hart trophy. That guy doesn’t exist anymore. Yet, Bowman still seems to think he is.
The Oilers had all the leverage, and Bowman had none. Holland has massively failed to take advantage of the situation by not asking the Hawks to retain salary. The guy is not worth $5.5 million for two years right now. He once was, but not anymore.
I hope more information comes out and I’m wrong on this one, but at this point, it looks like I’m right.
The return to the Hawks is pretty much as expected – Caleb Jones and a 3rd round pick. Neither of those things are a big loss, although I would’ve liked to have seen how Jones rebounded after last season, but I get it. The Oilers get a chance to elevate their experience level on D and Jones is the centerpiece necessary so the Hawks can court Seth Jones. You gotta give something if you wanna get something, right?
Bottom line
How’s this trade going to work out? Hard to say at this point. I’m willing to give it a chance but I’m disappointed Holland didn’t make the Hawks retain salary in the trade.
The Oilers are giving up a blueliner on the decline in exchange for another blueliner on the decline who has a lot more experience but is also much more expensive. As for his level of play, I’ll believe it when I see it.
If Keith is indeed the fitness freak he’s billed as, then he’ll make a decent placeholder on the 2nd pairing until Philip Broberg or Dmitri Samorukov are ready to step up to the plate. In theory, with a reduced role (Keith was still being used as a top pairing guy in Chicago), his play should improve.
But that’s a leap of faith at this point. Holland is taking most of the risk in this trade, which if he had insisted on retained salary would’ve been mitigated. Here he won’t have to play in the top pairing because Darnell Nurse is firmly planted in that role on the left side.
Jones is still young enough that he could become an impact guy for the Hawks in time, but who knows? The 3rd rounder is no big loss.