The Edmonton Oilers pulled off quite the trade on Monday and Ken Holland has already faced a lotttt of questions about it.
The veteran GM shipped Caleb Jones and a third-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for future Hall of Famer Duncan Keith and his hefty $5.538 million cap hit. Once upon a time, $5.538 million seemed like a bargain for the three-time Stanley Cup champ but at age 38, and two years remaining on his deal, some aren’t convinced this was a great trade for the Oil.
It seemed as though Edmonton had a bit of bargaining power given it was one of the few destinations Keith seemed keen on playing in, so it came as a surprise to many that Chicago managed to come out of the deal without retaining any salary. After getting asked about the return, however, Holland displayed a little sarcasm and was clearly just not having it.
Just a long-time GM right there not having it from the media. Kind of love to see it, no?!
Keith’s play has certainly dropped off, especially in the advanced stats department, but Holland made it clear that this wasn’t necessarily a numbers decision, and more about the experience the defender will bring to the organization. Keith
People can criticize the move all they want but we’re just going to have to wait and see how it shakes out.
(H/T Oilers TV)
