Chicago Blackhawks: 3 keys to success for Duncan Keith

Where does a player as decorated as Duncan Keith go at this point in his career? He’s not ready to hang it up, but his best is behind him with the Chicago Blackhawks.

As far as Blackhawks defenseman go, Duncan Keith will always be at the top of the list when looking at the franchise’s blue line. That’s quite a legacy for a player that is still playing and looking to add hardware to his trophy room.

At 37-years-old, Keith has passed his peak as a player, but what a lofty peak it’s been for him and the Chicago Blackhawks. Regardless, he’s still an NHL caliber player, and likely could be into his 40’s. He wants to play, and he shows up to compete, game after game. It’s not common anymore, but Keith could very realistic play an extremely long career in Chicago.

By anyone’s definition, Keith’s stats are incredible. If he were to retire tomorrow he’d almost certainly be in the hall of fame as soon as it was possible. Keith has become one of those players everyone hopes can add more to their legacy before they bow out. Fortunately, he will.

Keith has been awarded two Norris Trophies, which is quite an accomplishment, but his point production isn’t what has made him the player that he is. He drives play in a way that few have been able to. Granted, his possession metrics ebb and flow over the years, likely with the quality of the team around him.

How does a player that is this talented build on past success? What other achievements are left at this point for Keith? Here are possible ideas for Chicago’s legend-in-the-making in 2020-2021.

Key 1: Be honest about his future

If Keith is really playing for Cups at this point in his career, then he’d probably prefer a trade out of Chicago. When they publicly announced that they were rebuilding, Keith along with other veterans, weren’t thrilled. Keith wants to win, not rebuild. However, he’s still here. Will this change?

Will there be a discussion with the Blackhawks front office that leads to Keith being dealt to a competitor to shore up another team’s depth? Then again, if he decides to stick around, which, according to the Sun-Times’s Ben Pope, appears to be the case, then that needs to be the choice he makes. The longer Keith is stuck in a “will he or won’t he” scenario, the worse it will be for him.

If determining whether or not to leave Chicago drags on and on, the less likely it is that Keith will be traded to anyone. At 37, he’s at the end of his career. He’s still a reliable veteran and is exactly the kind of player contending teams look for to shore up the blueline. However, if this is the path he chooses to pursue, then it needs to happen now. Keith should simply come out and ask for a trade if he doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild.

If that’s what he wants, then that’s understandable. He’s a decorated player, and at this point in his career, he’s earned the right to focus on pursuing championships. This has to come from him though. By contrast, if he’s decided that he’s committed to Chicago, then he needs to stand by that. The choice is his, but he needs to make it and own it.

Key 2: Change his game

Even if the changes are modest, Keith is 37-years-old, and he needs to alter his game. Time has taken a toll on him, and he’s not the player he once was. The days of Keith relying on his phenomenal skating to chase down players are more or less over. At this point, even if he’s still physically ready for the games, he probably needs to take up a simpler strategy and be a bit more focused on his efforts. He’s lost a step, but he can still play.  Being at the level of Team Canada’s #1 defenseman is gone. At this point, he’s a 2nd of 3rd pairing defenseman.

Instead of trying to be a guy that does it all, it would be best if he ceded some responsibilities to other players. For example, he should play either on the penalty kill or the power play, but not both. I would personally prefer Keith to focus on defense since Chicago is bringing in rookies to fill in the gaps, and mostly on offense.

Not everyone will agree with this, and he’s won the Norris Trophy twice. The problem is that Keith’s offensive production may be dropping off. It’s hard to really conclude because the season ended so abruptly, and there was still a ways to go for the full 82 games. However, if you look at Keith’s PS, (Point Share, which is the number of points contributed by the player to the team), there’s a clear arc from 2005-2006 to 2019-2020. You could argue that Keith’s numbers reflect the quality of the team around him, but at 37-years-old, it’s a generous argument.

He’s still got the speed, for the most part, but not like he used to. It would probably be best if he simply started focusing on playing a more conservative game. The team needs defense, and his experience can help provide that. If he sticks around with Chicago, hopefully, he starts lurking a bit more in the defensive zone, rather than trying to drive the offense.