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Oilers’ Ken Holland Being Heavily Criticized For Duncan Keith Trade

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | Last updated 7/12/21

Ken Holland is not a popular man in Edmonton today. Monday afternoon, news broke that the Edmonton Oilers had finalized a trade to land defenseman Duncan Keith from the Chicago Blackhawks. Half of the Oilers fan base was for the trade, half against. That’s not terribly abnormal. That said, most of the people who were for the trade were for it as long as Chicago retained some of Keith’s $5.5 million salary. That didn’t happen.

Not only did Edmonton absorb all of Keith’s cap hit for two more seasons, they threw in Caleb Jones and a third-round pick as part of the deal.

So, yeah, Oilers fans aren’t happy. Even the glass-is-half-full contingent of Oilers Nation can only argue that time will tell on a trade that looks to be a massive gamble by the Oilers GM. For example, TSN’s Ryan Rishaug writes, “How much game does Duncan Keith have left? The single most important element of this trade. I didn’t see much of him this year so I don’t have a strong opinion on that. The Oilers did watch him a lot, they obviously feel he’s got a ton of game left, and wanted his experience.” He adds, “His numbers are not great, and point to a clear decline, but the situation in Chicago was not ideal. It’s fair to ask if a better financial deal could have been found if they’d waited and grinded longer on Bowman, but we don’t know all the details. High risk, high reward trade.”

His numbers are not great, and point to a clear decline, but the situation in Chicago was not ideal. It's fair to ask if a better financial deal could have been found if they'd waited and grinded longer on Bowman, but we don't know all the details. High risk, high reward trade.
— Ryan Rishaug (@TSNRyanRishaug) July 12, 2021

It’s fair to admit that few people know what was going on with this negotiation. We won’t know how much Holland valued the player until he addresses the media. We also don’t know how firm GM Stan Bowman was willing to stand and if he he no qualms about keeping Keith on the Blackhawks’s roster.

Was it the case that Bowman was willing to die on a hill where Keith either went only if his full salary was taken too? Or, did Holland value the player so much, he didn’t give two hoots about whether or not it would be well received by anyone and everyone who called it an overpay?

Did Holland Get Outplayed Here?

Right now, it appears Holland got out negotiated. Many are asking why the rush? What would have been the reasoning behind making sure you do this deal before the NHL Expansion Draft or before Bowman realized his only option was Edmonton? At that point, the ask for Keith comes down, especially if the Blackhawks are on the verge of making a Seth Jones deal, but only if Keith is moved first.

Holland appeared to have all the leverage. Keith wanted Edmonton. The Blackhawks needed to make a move. Chicago’s interest in Seth Jones was well known and the Oilers could have looked at other options. Keith is 37, makes too much money and his game appears to be declining. Holland had all of that working for him and he still took on the full salary and gave up two assets.

There are so many reactions to this deal and most of them are negative towards the Oilers GM. The scary part for those fans is that Edmonton still has a lot of work to do and there’s little trust now he’s the man to do it.

Pressure Is on Keith Now

One thing is clear. After paying full price for a veteran defenseman, Holland has made it so that Keith has to not only meet, but exceed expectations. For $3.5-$4 million, Oilers fans would have taken it a little easier and been alright with this being a trade that didn’t quite pan out. Now, if Keith doesn’t play better than everyone would have hoped, he’s going to be the whipping ~~boy~~ manin Edmonton next season.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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