Shane Doan has technically been a free agent since last Sunday. Thanks to him waiting out to see if Greg Jamison’s bid to buy the Coyotes gets held up or not, tomorrow may turn into the official day to big on his services.
Paola Boivin of The Arizona Republic says he won’t have a shortage of suitors should he decide to play somewhere other than Phoenix next season, a decision that will be painful for the career Coyote according to his agent.
Eleven teams have inquired about the player, his agent, Terry Bross, said Friday. New York, Detroit and Montreal are among the group, according to various reports.
Doan deserves better.
“It’s heartbreaking for him,” Bross said. “Heartbreaking.”
Bross reiterated Doan wants to stay with the Coyotes. He loves it here, his family loves it here and he has developed a profound connection with the organization.
Should things get cleared up in Glendale with Jamison’s bid to buy the team, re-signing Doan is a no-brainer. Things continuing to be up in the air, however, ruins that for the team. Doan wants nowhere else to play other than Phoenix, but if ownership is still a mess, you can’t fault the guy for wanting to land in a stable situation.
Worse yet for the Coyotes, one of the teams who will push hard for Doan is the Los Angeles Kings, according to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun. Losing your captain due to ownership mayhem is one thing, potentially losing him to a rival stings even more.