The Chicago Blackhawks have been blessed with a wealth of elite talent as of late.

While the club has been gifted a fair number of lethal offensive talents — Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and so on — perhaps their greatest asset of the last decade has been defenseman Duncan Keith.

Keith may not be a better overall talent than Toews or Kane (though he isn’t far behind), but given the rarity of historically good blueliners, he has arguably been the Blackhawks most cherished commodity during his tenure in Chicago.

The 32-year-old has had quite the NHL career so far. In 10 seasons, Keith has racked up three Stanley Cups, two Olympic gold medals, two James Norris Memorial trophies and one Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP during Chicago’s most recent championship run.

He’s established himself as the game’s top force on the blue line at the moment, but where does Keith rank among the all-time greats?

It’s tough to put him anywhere close to history’s best — legends like Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque, or Paul Coffey. Orr won eight Norris trophies in his time. Coffey and Bourque each piled up over 1,500 points while winning multiple awards themselves. Keith could perhaps reach this echelon at some point, but he’d have to not only remain at the elite level he’s been at, but continue to trend upwards as he approaches his mid-30’s.

However, when looking at the greats of the modern NHL, Keith already doesn’t seem too far off.

Detroit Red Wings legend Nick Lidstrom is undoubtedly the finest defenseman of the modern era — not to mention one of the greatest that ever played. The longtime Red Wings captain won an astounding seven Norris trophies, alongside four Stanley Cups, one Conn Smythe trophy and one Olympic gold medal.

Then there’s Scott Neidermayer, one of the most consistent winners in all of hockey. Winning at literally every level in which he competed, Neidermayer’s NHL career included four Stanley Cups, one Norris trophy, one Conn Smythe trophy and two Olympic gold medals.

Past those two top-tier veterans, the crowd gets harder to sort. Chris Pronger’s name is surely in the mix. He may only have one Stanley Cup, one Conn Smythe, and one Norris trophy, but he similarly has two Olympic gold medals and notably won the Hart Trophy in 2000 as the league’s MVP. Also a key part of this mix is Chris Chelios, who racked up three Stanley Cups, three Norris trophies, and one Olympic gold.

Looking at this group of superstars, it’s clear that Keith isn’t quite a Lidstrom-esque all-time force just yet. The fact that he’s twice been the best defender in the league puts him slightly past Neidermayer and Pronger, but Neidermayer’s four Cups still trump Keith’s three, and neither Keith nor Neidermayer were ever voted the league’s MVP, as Pronger was – and he was the only defenseman to earn the Hart Trophy since Bobby Orr did so in the late 70’s.

When it comes to championships, Keith’s three seems a historic sum compared to the rest of his contemporaries, but it still puts him behind both Lidstrom and Neidermayer. Keith’s three puts him alongside Chelios, though the latter has one more Norris trophy to his name.

Looking at Keith from this hardware-centric angle, his place among the all-time greats still seems very much in question. He could well be the best of his generation, but he hasn’t yet proven to be among the top all-time echelon.

However, moving past the hardware and looking at Keith simply in terms of what he is capable of each time he steps on the ice, his place among the game’s best becomes a little more clear.

Take it from those would know best. Former greats Pronger and Brian Leetch spoke about Keith’s superb performance recently. Said Pronger about Keith’s unrivalled speed:

“If you watch his first three to four steps, fast, quick muscles, and then he’s gone, at that top gear already. But he also doesn’t skate around endlessly going 100 mph. It’s under control. There is a purpose for each movement with that quick-twitch closing speed. He’s able to make a few quick strides and he’s already on top of the opposition. And with his quick stick he’s already taking it away, transitioning the other way, and gone.”

Keith’s combination of almost superhuman endurance and elite speed make him a force when it comes to transitioning from his own zone to his opposition’s. It’s his versatility and his unpredictability that make him so dangerous. He can beat you with stretch pass that finds one of his forwards far up ice, or he can skate out of trouble up the wing before dishing to a teammate in the neutral zone, or, if need be, Keith can kick it into high gear and take off on an end-to-end rush himself. The variety of tools available to him makes it tough for opponents to bank on any one of them, meaning he has more free reign to use them all, depending on the situation.

Taking Pronger’s analysis into account, one could be resigned to thinking of Keith as simply a speedy, smooth-skating, primarily elegant player on the back end. He is undoubtedly all these things, but that’s only half of the story.

Leetch’s perspective on Keith tells the other side. Said Leetch:

“I like the way he passes the puck, skates and sees the ice, but to be able to do all of that jumping out there every other shift, playing 26-32 minutes on a nightly basis, is not easy. It’s not like he’s just breaking the puck out and joining the rush. He’s got to battle in front. He has to get in the corner, get that puck out, support the play. It’s a grind and it will wear on you if you’re not in top shape.”

It’s this sense of balance that defines Keith’s game. He can bring the offensive flair and the quick-footed grace, but he can dig in, grind and battle if he needs to as well. The fact that he’s wholly willing to tap into both of these skill-sets allows him to truly flourish regardless of the situation.

Perhaps Keith’s greatest strength is that he’s true to his position in an exceptional way.

Whereas recent Norris trophy-winner Erik Karlsson has earned the award (twice) by racking absurdly high offensive numbers — 140 points over the last two seasons — those points came alongside some suspect defensive play. That isn’t the case with Keith. Though Karlsson is undoubtedly the best offensive defenseman in the league, he also has a career plus-minus mark of -19.

Keith’s offensive numbers are still quite strong over the same timespan — 106 points over the last two seasons — and he’s supplemented that with elite defensive play, evidenced by his career plus-137 mark.

A cerebral defensive force, Keith’s ability to read plays and shut them down with speed and positioning is unmatched in the game as of right now. Add in his skill in transition and poise in his opponents’ zone, and it’s clear there are few who can truly rival him right now – though Drew Doughty seems the closest.

Thus, while Keith’s trophy closet and points total may not seem to position him among the all-time best just yet, his uncanny balance of on-ice abilities tells another story. Pinning down his exact place among history’s top talents may be difficult, but it’s clear Keith is one of the most impressive blue-liners to suit up in the NHL in quite a while.

Considering his heralded fitness level and the fact that the Blackhawks seem set up for sustained success, Keith seems destined to play another decade in the NHL, and should have an excellent chance at adding a few more trophies to his case during that time. But even with his career far from over, Keith has booked his ticket to the Hall of Fame with his tremendous play so far, and has already earned his place in hockey history.