Duncan Keith to miss start of Oilers training camp

Per NHL reporter Ken Campbell, Duncan Keith will miss the first week of training camp with the Edmonton Oilers, which is set to begin on Wednesday.

Keith, 38, will be unable to participate due to just receiving his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The second dose requires 14 days to become fully effective, As a result, Keith is still quarantining and will not skate with the team for the first week of camp. This is unfortunate news for Keith, though the good news is that he has been in Edmonton skating with several of his new teammates for a couple of weeks now. The three-time Stanley Cup champion was acquired by the Oilers earlier this offseason in exchange for Caleb Jones and a fourth-round draft pick.

Many Oilers fans have criticized this deal due to the fact that Keith's play has declined in recent years with his age, and this news certainly won't go over well with some. There is no denying that general manager Ken Holland took a pretty big risk acquiring the former Norris Trophy winner, as he still has two years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5,538,462. Hopefully missing the first week of camp doesn't impact his play to begin the season, as the microscope is going to be on him from the very get go.