If you had any doubt that the Phoenix Coyotes are still unrestricted free agent Shane Doan’s number one choice, he put them to rest in an interview with TSN on Saturday.
“Right now I’m doing everything I can to stay there and that’s kind of my goal,” Doan said, according to the NHL.com. “At the same time, I’m having to do some due diligence, now in the fact that the longer it takes the more likely and the harder it seems to be to get a deal done in Phoenix.”
The sticking point seems to be the uncertainty surrounding the Coyotes’ ownership situation. Greg Jamison might buy the team, but nothing is set in stone yet.
In the mean time, there are plenty of other teams interested in Doan’s services.
“It’s one of those things. that I understand the fluidity of the market and the way that the market moves, but like I said I’m going to try to give Phoenix every chance I can,” Doan said. “For me it’s going to be about my family and the right situation for us and the right situation for me as a player to have a chance to win and enjoy the game. And I think that’s a big part of it is being in the right spot and enjoying it. There’s obviously a few teams that fit that.”
Doan doesn’t put up superstar numbers, but he’d provide any team with a top-six forward that isn’t afraid to throw his body around. He would also serve as a valuable veteran presence after serving as the captain of the Phoenix Coyotes since 2003.