Duncan Keith Leaves Game With Injury, Leaves Bigger Void
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith left the game on Tuesday night with an upper-body injury. The second half of the game saw just how much Edmonton was missing two of their best left side defensemen. Darnell Nurse was already out with a broken finger. The Keith injury forced Kris Russell into a much bigger role. Even young rookie Philip Broberg played nearly 19 minutes on Tuesday. If Keith has to miss any substantial amount of time, Edmonton will have their defensive depth severely tested. That could be advantageous to their opposition.
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Duncan Keith joined his team for training camp for the first time on Friday. The 38-year-old had been out after serving a mandatory two-week quarantine following his Covid vaccination. Keith, who is expected to jump into the Oilers' top-four defenseman group, was acquired from the Hawks via trade over the offseason. The three-time Stanley Cup Champ posted 13 points (four goals, 11 assists), a minus-13 rating, 110 shots, 91 blocks and 33 hits in 54 games in 2020-2021. At this point in his career, Keith most likely only serves as a depth option in deeper fantasy pools for the upcoming campaign.
The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Duncan Keith from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for defenseman Caleb Jones and a third-round draft pick on Monday. The 37-year-old, who won three Stanley Cups in 16 seasons in Chicago, had been the subject of trade talks for the past few weeks. Keith's level of play has regressed considerably as he's entered his late 30's (just 15 points, a minus-13 rating, 110 shots in 54 games in 2020-2021) but he should be able to push for a spot in the Oilers' top-four defenseman group next season. The two-time Norris winner has amassed 625 points (105 goals, 520 assists), a plus-144 rating in 1192 career games and seems to be a lock as a future Hockey Hall of Famer at this point.
Duncan Keith Misses End Of The Season With Concussion
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith (concussion) won't be available for the final two games of the season, starting with Sunday's clash with the Stars. The veteran blueliner picked up a concussion in Thursday's 2-1 overtime victory against Carolina. Keith finishes his 16th year in the league with 15 points in 54 games. The two-time Norris Trophy winner isn't a very attractive fantasy piece anymore as age has caught up with him and he'll be 38 in July. Brett Connolly also sits out on Sunday. Ian Mitchell and Nicolas Beaudin come into the lineup.