Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland said on Wednesday the team expects newly acquired defenceman Duncan Keith to be available next Friday after completely his quarantine.

The team confirmed that the 38-year-old defenceman recently became fully vaccinated, making him unavailable until Oct. 1.

Asked why Keith waited as long as he did before getting his second shot, Holland explained that deciding to become vaccinated isn't an easy one for some players.

"I think as we've gone through the [new] world, making the decision for some people is easy and for some people, it's difficult," Holland said at his press conference at the opening of Oilers training camp. "I'm happy that he's going to be part of our team, fully vaccinated."

A native of Winnipeg, Keith was acquired by the team in a July trade with the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom Keith spent the first 16 seasons of his career,

Holland, heading into his third season with the team, also revealed that the team could have one unvaccinated player on their roster.

Holland says the team is continuing to try to persuade the unnamed player to get vaccinated.

The Oilers open up their exhibition schedule on Sunday against the Calgary Flames. Their regular season begins on Oct. 13 when they host the Vancouver Canucks.