Chicago Blackhawks

Oilers’ Duncan Keith Set to Retire After Lengthy NHL Career

Duncan Keith is retiring from the NHL after 17 seasons. The Oilers will get extra salary cap space and Blackhawks dinged a penalty.

by
NHL Trade Talk
July 8, 2022

As per a report by Pierre LeBrun of TSN, “Word is Duncan Keith of the Edmonton Oilers has decided to retire. The 38-year-old has one year left on his deal at $5.54 million AAV. Heck of a career, two-time Norris Trophy winner and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.” This news comes after the Oilers had asked Keith to let them know of his plans for next season by July 10th in order for them to make the appropriate plans in NHL free agency or via trade.

Word is Duncan Keith of the Edmonton Oilers has decided to retire. The 38-year-old has one year left on his deal at $5.54 million AAV.
Heck of a career, two-time Norris Trophy winner and Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) July 8, 2022

With the news, the odds that Tyson Barrie is moved from the blue line diminishes greatly and the Oilers will now have an additional $5.5 million available on their cap to go out and find another left-shot defenseman to play in their second pair next season.

Keith played one season with the Oilers and 16 with the Chicago Blackhawks. He was a two-two-time Norris Trophy Winner, two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and one of the best defensemen to play in the NHL over the last 20 seasons. He’ll be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

With the news of Keith’s retirement, the Blackhawks will be hit with a $5.4 million cap recapture penalty next season and a $1.94 million hit in 2023-24. The reason being that Keith signed a 13-year $72 million deal and those types of deals are now since illegal in the NHL. The Blackhawks got a huge cap credit up front and it will have to even out on the back end. As for the Oilers, they freed up $3.5 million with a trade of Zack Kassian on Thursday and now have Keith’s $5.54 million. There is some belief Edmonton should also get a cap credit from Keith’s retirement, but the NHL has since said no such cap credit exists. It is not clear if the Oilers will fight that decision.

The Oilers have about $19.9 million in salary cap space with Oscar Kelfbom also on LTIR.

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