Philadelphia Flyers: The time Duncan Keith was almost traded to the Flyers

At the time a young prospect, Duncan Keith was almost traded to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Imagine it’s just before the 2004-05 season. A young Duncan Keith hadn’t even played a game for the Blackhawks yet. He had just been drafted in 2002 and was playing in the AHL. Turns out, he was almost sent to the Flyers.

That’s what former GM Mike Smith said. In a piece by Mark Lazerus of The Athletic, Smith detailed his time as the Blackhawks GM. One of the biggest takeaways, at least for Flyers fans, is how Keith was almost traded to Philadelphia.

You’ll need a subscription to read the full article, which is a great piece by Lazerus. Smith mentions how Bob Pulford, another former GM, almost pulled off this trade.

"The way Smith tells it, Pulford was this close to trading then-prospect Duncan Keith to the Flyers, packaging him with three other players to bring 34-year-old Jeremy Roenick and 34-year-old Tony Amonte back to Chicago in the twilight of their careers."

What stopped that from happening? The 2004-05 lockout. That froze the trade market for an entire year. Keith played in the AHL for the Norfolk Admirals. He performed adequately there, posting nine goals and 26 points in 76 games. He made the Hawks the following season and the rest was history.

But what if that trade took place? It’s hard to look at the entire trade because we don’t know what else the Flyers would have received with Keith. But we can talk about what they would have lost.

The 2003-04 season saw the Flyers with 101 points and a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division. Roenick was coming off what would turn out to be his last season with the Flyers. He was fifth on the team in points (47) and sixth in goals (19). In 18 playoff games, he had four goals and 13 points.

Amonte would also be in his last season with the Flyers, posting his best totals with the team. He was fourth in points (53) and fifth in goals (20). He didn’t perform as well in the playoffs, posting just three goals and eight points.

The Flyers wouldn’t play again until the 2005-06 season. Even without the trade, Roenick and Amonte would not return to the team. The two had been replaced by some big names, including Peter Forsberg. With big expectations, they partly lived up to them. With the first half saw them accrue a ten-point lead in the division, injuries caught up to them.

They didn’t fall far, finishing second in the division. A season after making it to the Conference Final, the Flyers were bounced out in the first round.

It is also hard to say what Keith could have added to this roster. He hadn’t appeared in the NHL before the potential trade. He may likely have spent time with the Phantoms before debuting with the Flyers. With players like Eric Desjardins and Joni Pitkanen in front of him, there may not have been room at the time.

If Keith was to put up a similar total in his rookies season, his 21 points his rookie season would’ve ranked 14th on the Flyers. That would’ve been sixth among defensemen. He got better as the years went on and he was an instrumental part to the Hawks Stanley Cups.

Could he have helped the Flyers win at least one? Possibly even the one in 2010 against those Blackhawks? It’s hard to say, but he could have certainly helped that defensive core if he developed in a similar fashion.

It’s fun to look back and think about what could have been if this trade went through. Both teams would have turned out differently, that is almost certain.