According to Sportsnet’s John Shannon, Shane Doan will not be testing free agency this season and is close to a new deal with the Arizona Coyotes. The only franchise Doan has ever played for, he’ll be entering his 21st season with the club.
Even at 39, Doan still ranked 20th on our list of the top 50 free agents after he put up another great season in 2015-16. Scoring 28 goals, the former 7th overall pick (of the 1995 Entry Draft!) now has 396 for his career, putting him in the top 100 of all-time (92nd).
Doan is a testament to loyalty, staying with his original club all these years despite only playing in 55 career contests and none since 2012. While he probably would get multiple offers from teams around the league who think he can still contribute as a top-6 scorer, going back to Arizona always seemed like the natural thing to do, and if Shannon is correct he should be able to play out the end of his career, never having left the Winnipeg/Phoenix/Arizona franchise.