It was shocking to many around the hockey world when the Arizona Coyotes made it clear they weren’t going to bring long-time captain Shane Doan back for the 2017-18 season, but perhaps it shouldn’t have been. Doan’s game has deteriorated significantly over the past few seasons, to the point where he scored just six goals this year breaking a streak of 16 seasons with 13 or more. Doan had said he would like to keep playing if there is a team that wants him, as he’s never come close to the Stanley Cup throughout his career.
Now speaking with Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, Doan’s agent Terry Bross says that four or five teams have been in contact but there is still not a decision imminent. He could even wait until training camp is about to begin to make that decision. It’s not clear who those teams are, or if they have actually offered Doan anything but it’s unlikely that there would be a huge market for the 40-year old. Though he’s likely due for some regression from that terrible goal total—his shooting percentage was a ridiculously low 4.4% last year—he also doesn’t seem to fit into anyone’s top-six, and may not even be a realistic option on a third line.
It’s hard to sign on as a fourth line player after so many years as the face of a franchise. While Doan may not be quite good enough for the Hall of Fame, he has still been one of the household names of his generation of players. With over 400 goals already, Doan is just 28 points away from cracking 1,000, something that will be odd to accomplish in a sweater that isn’t emblazoned with a Coyote. If there is any poetic justice in the NHL it will be a Jet instead, which was the crest he scored his first point under when the Arizona franchise was still located in Winnipeg.