Former Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is still stuck in his ways
By Bob Heyrman
Death, taxes, and Ken Holland trading for a veteran player nearing the end of their career. The former general manager of the Detroit Red Wings recently overpaid for Duncan Keith.
Before we get into the Keith trade, I’d like to mention another of Holland’s offseason transactions. The former Detroit Red Wings GM re-signed 28-year old forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins to an eight-year deal worth $41 million.
Not only is the length ludicrous, but Holland also attached his famous full no-movement clause to the deal. It’s what Red Wings fans refer to as the ‘Kenny special.’
With Detroit, Holland loved to give out those massive 12-year contracts before the NHL eventually capped the length at eight years.
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With a lower cap hit than the shorter deals, the Red Wings could add more talent under the cap, although the organization would carry those lengthy contracts for what felt like forever. That’s why in recent years, we saw Johan Franzen, and just this offseason, Henrik Zetterberg‘s contract finally expired.
Former Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is still up to his old tricks.
On Monday, the Edmonton Oilers sent Caleb Jones and a third-round pick to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for veteran defenseman Duncan Keith. The kicker? The Blackhawks retained no salary in this deal.
The Oilers will absorb the entire $5.5 million per season over the next two years.
After 16 seasons with the Blackhawks, Keith will pack his bags and head to Canada. But his reasoning is very relatable and justifiable. The Blackhawks, who are in salary cap hell, just needed a sucker, and they found one with ole Kenny.
Duncan Keith says he saw his eight-year-old son Colton once during a five-month stretch this season because of border restrictions. Reflecting after a tough year, Keith decided to request a trade closer to Penticton, B.C., where Colton lives.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 13, 2021
Keith turns 38-years old on July 15th, which makes this deal absurd. If you are reading this, you are likely a hockey fan and realize that the Oilers have lacked an impactful defenseman along with a legitimate number one goaltender, but to add a high-priced 38-year old defender firmly on the decline is so Kenny Holland of the Oilers.
Next. Sifting through the Tyler Bertuzzi trade rumors. dark
In 54 games last season, Keith scored four goals and totaled 15 points. Keith did prove he can still be a workhorse as he averaged over 23 minutes of ice-time per game but played as a minus -13 and owned a Corsi For Percentage of just 45.2%.