Chicago Blackhawks: Trade packages for Duncan Keith
2. Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are built very similarly to the Chicago Blackhawks teams that won a few Stanley Cups in a short amount of time. They have a top line center in Patrice Bergeron who, like Jonathan Toews, is one of the best two-way centers to ever live. They have a dynamic scoring winger that drives offense like a centerman, much like Patrick Kane. They have Brad Marchand who is like Andrew Shaw in terms of being annoying, but he has elite all-world offensive production.
They also have an allstar caliber goalie in Tuukka Rask, much like Corey Crawford was to Chicago back in the day. Then we get to the defense. Boston has a true number one in Charlie McAvoy who is emerging into one of the best in the game, much like Duncan Keith used to be. Torey Krug moves the puck at an elite level much like Brent Seabrook used to and they have a guy who is one of the best pure defenders in the league in Brandon Carlo, who plays like Niklas Hjalmarsson used to.
This, however, is where Duncan Keith fits in. If he were to go to the Bruins via trade he would fit in very nicely with either Krug or Carlo, depending on what they would want his role to be. But what would it take for the Bruins to pry him away from the Blackhawks?
The Bruins much like the Toronto Maple Leafs, have a plethora of young players in their organization both at the NHL level and below to use as assets. A player like Keith could round their top four into one of the best in the league, so it may be worth it for them to explore the possibilities.
The Blackhawks would probably be interested in at least two of the Bruins top prospects and some draft picks if they were to deal away Keith. Because Boston is looking to make a deep playoff run, we won’t go near any roster players and I would assume they do not deal their first round pick unless it was to acquire an elite level rental. Keith would be a depth defenseman for them so a first rounder isn’t realistic.
They could, however, consider moving their second round pick in the 2019 NHL draft, along with two top prospects. The Blackhawks could look to add one defenseman and a forward. Zach Senyshyn was drafted in 2015 when the Bruins made three mid round picks in a row. The Blackhawks could certainly take a risk on him as he has not developed as quickly as some other guys near his age. They could also look at defenseman Urho Vaakanainen to acquire in exchange for Keith. Urho was taken in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft, along with Blackhawks defenseman Henri Jokiharu. They were teammates for Finland at the 2019 World Junior Championships.
The Blackhawks and the Bruins could easily work out a fair deal like this one that would bring Keith the possibility of winning another Stanley Cup in his already Hall of Fame career. Obviously, anything could happen, but this type of proposal is one that would fit the way the NHL seems to work around this time. Established NHL defensemen tend to sell for big prices. The Bruins could be willing to pay that price as the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be in their way in the Eastern Conference. They could also take him just to keep him away from someone else.