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Shane Doan

Morning Notes: Del Zotto, Johansen, Doan

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With the free agent period set to open tomorrow morning, there are several interesting options available. One of those is Michael Del Zotto, who has shown flashes of brilliance in an otherwise underwhelming career so far. Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 in Vancouver is reporting that the Canucks are the leading candidate on Del Zotto, after some productive talks during the free agent window.

Though Del Zotto isn’t a game-changing name, he does bring some upside and relative youth from a fairly stagnant market. At just 27 he’s one of the younger defensemen available and has shown the ability to be a 40-point player in the past. Vancouver, looking for assets to perhaps flip at the deadline would do well in taking a chance on the former Flyer. We ranked Del Zotto #24 among our Top 50 Free Agents, expecting him to get a two-year contract.

  • The checkbook might have to come out for Ryan Johansen, as the Nashville Predators center is looking for $8.5MM per season on a long-term contract according to Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News. While the final number may come down substantially, Johansen does have a strong case as a restricted free agent. Though he’s only 24, Johansen already has six seasons under his belt in the NHL and thus would be giving away almost entirely UFA years in any long-term deal. After his fourth-straight 60-point season and checking basically every other box you want from a #1 center (size, defense and faceoffs) he has a lot of leverage in any negotiation. For what it’s worth, only five centers in the entire league have a cap hit of $8.5MM or above: Jonathan Toews, Anze Kopitar, Evgeni Malkin, Steven Stamkos and Sidney Crosby.
  • Craig Morgan of AZ Sports tweets that four teams have reached out to agent Terry Bross in regards to Shane Doan, but the long-time Coyotes forward won’t make a decision for a while yet. It’s not even clear if Doan will actually play next season, but all signs point to him wanting to suit up once again. It probably need to be a legitimate role on a contender to coax Doan to come aboard, and it’s unclear where that will be. Doan ranked #35 on our free agent list, but wasn’t even included in the top 50 on two ballots. It’s clear that opinions are mixed on whether he has anything left to contribute around the league.
  • Michael Russo of the Star Tribune has a couple of notes to pass along today, the first being that Thomas Vanek has had a few teams reach out including the Florida Panthers. Vanek has strong ties to the Minnesota community, but Russo doesn’t mention the Wild as a possibility for the 33-year old forward. The other note is concerning Marco Scandella and a continuing interest from the Buffalo Sabres. Buffalo has been trying to improve their defense for a while, and Minnesota is still expected to move at least one defender before the start of the season.
  • Dinamo Riga has signed former NHL goaltender Justin Peters, ending for now his struggle in the minor leagues. Peters got into three games for the Coyotes this season, but has spent the majority of his time in the AHL the last few seasons. A second-round pick by Carolina in 2004, he’s played in 83 games in his NHL career, registering a .901 save percentage.

Arizona Coyotes Will Not Re-Sign Shane Doan

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Though Shane Doan still has some hope to play again next season, it won’t be for the only club he’s ever known. The long-time Coyotes captain who actually played one season for the Winnipeg Jets before they moved to the desert, will not be re-signed by the team. Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports that the Coyotes informed him of that decision over the weekend. "<strong

Doan has played parts of 21 seasons in the NHL, all for the same organization. In 1,540 games he registered 402 goals and 972 points while serving as captain for the last 13 seasons. In all that time, he only played in 55 playoff contests making it past the first round just once. He ranks in the top-100 all-time in goals, assists and points, but will have to finish his career somewhere else if he should want to play in 2017-18 or beyond.

LeBrun believes there are other teams with interest in the 40-year old winger, but it would be tough to pull on the sweater of another franchise after so many years. Doan has helped hockey in Arizona tremendously over the years, with players like Auston Matthews now showing the impact he had when he came here two decades ago. When the two met earlier this year in Arizona, Matthews had this to say about one of his childhood idols:

He’s been such an amazing not only hockey player for this team, but in the community. Obviously you see in the intermission breaks the people he touches and affects. It just shows you how much more it is to him not only to be a hockey player, but just an amazing person in the community.

Even if Doan does play a year or two somewhere else, he’ll be a part of the Coyotes franchise forever. The team issued this statement on the decision not to offer him a contract:

After serious consideration, we have decided to not offer Shane Doan a contract for the upcoming season. The time has come for us to move on and to focus on our young, talented group of players and our very bright future.

Shane deserves an enormous amount of credit for keeping the Coyotes in the Valley and for growing the game of hockey in Arizona. He is beloved by our fans, corporate partners and the media and has been a tremendous leader for us in the community, and a great role model for kids. We wish him and his family all the best in the future. He will be a member of our Pack forever.

According to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, Oliver Ekman-Larsson will take over as captain of the Coyotes next season. Ekman-Larsson has been the best player on Arizona for a while now, and has two years left on his current contract. He will be just the fourth captain since becoming the Coyotes, following Doan (2003-17), Teppo Numminen (2001-03) and Keith Tkachuk (1996-2001).

Shane Doan Leaning Towards Playing Next Season

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Long-time Coyotes forward Shane Doan is leaning towards playing next season, reports Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports.  Doan’s agent Terry Bross provided the following update on the situation:

“He hasn’t made a final decision, but I think he’s leaning toward playing one more year; I think he’s going to play.  His body feels good, he loves the game and he loves the players.”

Shane DoanIt’s believed that Doan is looking to make a decision before the NHL Entry Draft which would allow GM John Chayka some time to work out how Doan will fit in on the roster for next season.  He’s coming off of one of the more complicated contracts around the league, one that carries deferred payments of a $1.5MM signing bonus over the next five seasons as well as a $1MM games played bonus payable in 2018 and 2019.

The pending unrestricted free agent holds many franchise records, including goals (402), assists (570), points (972), and games played (1,540).  However, his production dropped considerably this past season as Doan tallied just six goals and 21 assists in 74 games, his lowest full-season output since 1998-99.

If Doan is to return to the only NHL organization he has ever been a part of, it will assuredly be at a lower rate than the $4.84MM AAV he carried in 2016-17 (which includes the deferred payments).  It’s likely that the 40 year old would fill a bottom six role for Arizona which would allow a youngster like Anthony Duclair, who like Doan spent some time on the right wing this year, to get some more consistent playing time.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Focus: Arizona Coyotes

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The free agent period is now less than one month away from opening up and there are several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  Here is a breakdown of Arizona’s free agent situation.

Mar 14, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) prepares to take a shoot the puck during a shootout in a NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Center. The Coyotes defeated the Kings 3-2 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsKey Restricted Free Agents: F Anthony Duclair – 2016-17 was a tough season for the 21 year old.  After putting up 20 goals and 44 points in 81 games in his first season in the desert, he had just five goals and 15 points in 58 NHL contests this season.  He was also sent to the AHL where he managed just a single tally in 16 games.  Given the success he had prior to this past season, he could still make a case that he’s worthy of a decent raise coming off his entry-level deal.  His struggles have led to some speculation that he could be dealt during the offseason.  If he’s not, a one year contract would be a likely outcome to see if he gets back to his sophomore season form before giving him a sizable pay jump.

F Alexander Burmistrov – The Russian center made a pretty good impression after being picked up off the waiver wire from Winnipeg, collecting 14 points in 26 games while seeing his ice time jump to over 15 minutes per game.  However, he is due a qualifying offer of $1.6MM which may be a bit too high for Arizona’s liking considering how much he struggled with the Jets.  GM John Chayka will have a decision to make as to whether he’s worth that qualifier or whether they’d be better suited to not tender him one and then try to negotiate a cheaper deal later on.

Other RFAs: F Grayson Downing, F Tyler Gaudet, F Peter Holland, F Josh Jooris, G Marek Langhamer, F Jordan Martinook, F Jeremy Morin, F Mitch Moroz, F Teemu Pulkkinen, F Branden Troock

Key Unrestricted Free Agents: F Shane Doan – While he’s coming off a down season, there’s no doubting that Doan remains the face of the franchise in Arizona.  The 40 year old has suggested in the past that he wouldn’t likely go elsewhere in free agency (although he was reportedly open to moving as a rental player at the trade deadline if the perfect situation were to come up).  If he were to sign on for another season, it would likely come at a rate below the $3.86MM base salary (before performance and signing bonus deferred payments) he earned this past season.

F Radim Vrbata – Vrbata is coming off a resurgent season after returning to the desert on a one year, incentive-laden contract last offseason.  With 55 points, he’s the second highest point producer that’s slated to hit the open market; only Washington’s T.J. Oshie (56) had more.  The soon-to-be 36 year old has had success in each of his three stints with the Coyotes but has been inconsistent when he’s with other organizations.  Despite that, the weak free agent market should help him land a lot more than the $1MM in guaranteed money he settled for last summer.

Other UFAs: D Jamie McBain, D Zbynek Michalek, F Chris Mueller, F Garret Ross, D Jarred Tinordi, F Joe Whitney

Projected Cap Space: After finishing the season in LTIR with zero cap space having taken on several large contracts for players who weren’t playing for them, Arizona has just over $47MM committed to 17 players per CapFriendly, giving them plenty of room to work with under the cap.  However, they’re a lower budget team so it’s not likely that they’ll be adding big ticket deals in free agency but it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to take on a cumbersome deal for a player who’s out long-term in exchange for a younger asset, something Chayka has already done in his brief stint as GM.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Mike Smith Potentially Available

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Arizona goaltender Mike Smith could well be available, after he was heavily shielded from discussions at the trade deadline. According to Nick Kypreos, Arizona is circling back to the discussions after re-evaluating their team. Management believes Smith is in “win-now” mode, and with the team opting to go with a total youth movement, getting assets for Smith could be quite enticing. If the team were to unload Smith for prospects or picks, it would make the Coyotes’ ability to compete far less likely next season. The team is in a particularly difficult position because of their unique ownership struggles over the years. Fans always want to see a competitive squad on the ice, and with the possible retirement of Shane Doan looming, trading their next most recognizable player would be a tough sell.

Smith has a career save percentage of .916, with a solid two seasons behind him. These past two years were a welcome improvement over his terrible 2014-15 outing, in which he led the league in losses and goals against. No season has been as spectacular as his first in the desert, 2011-12, when he even entered the Vezina conversation with a .930 save percentage and 38 wins before leading the team to the Western Conference Finals. Smith has been known for his ultra-competitive attitude and incredible athleticism, but been criticized for his inconsistency. Arizona coach Dave Tippett has often come to his defense, even in the lean years, giving him the spotlight and credit on numerous occasions.

The market for Smith could be quite limited, and as mentioned previously, he is probably worth more to the franchise in fan engagement alone than the assets he might return. The only two teams who still absolutely need a #1 goaltender are the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets, with the possibility that Philadelphia could have interest. The last time Philadelphia opted to go with a Tippett-led goaltender, Ilya Bryzgalov, the transition was the opposite of smooth. Winnipeg is renowned for its reluctance to engage in trades, as GM Kevin Cheveldayoff has often balked at transactions and taken a conservative approach to team-building. Calgary is indeed desperate for a veteran tender, and the fit there would likely be the most conceivable, if difficult due to intra-divisional competition. If Calgary were willing to move a substantial piece to land Smith, however, it stands to question whether they are truly on the cusp of contending. The market simply isn’t there for Mike Smith at the moment, though during a new season, injuries and poor performances always leave teams scrambling for help in the crease.

Offseason Keys: Arizona Coyotes

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Arizona Coyotes.

2016-17 was expected to be full of rough patches for the Coyotes and that’s exactly what happened.  The team integrated a plethora of young players into the lineup and while most showed considerable promise, they also showed that they’re not ready to all be counted on as core contributors right away.  Arizona appears fully committed to their current direction which would seem to suggest a fairly quiet upcoming summer but there are still a few things to keep an eye on this offseason.

Arena Certainty

Unfortunately for GM John Chayka, this one is completely out of his control but it will very likely play a big role in his offseason shopping.  An agreement that would have seen them move to the East Valley fell through when Arizona State University backed out and ownership is once again looking for alternatives as they are unhappy in their current location in Glendale.

Unsurprisingly, this has once again revived possible talk of relocation and that simply cannot bode well for the Coyotes’ recruitment efforts.  It can’t be easy to try to get a player to sign when they can’t say with certainly how much longer they’ll be at their current arena and how much longer they may be in Arizona altogether.

While team officials are (at least publicly) optimistic that a resolution will eventually be found, Chayka and his management team have to hope that some traction is made in the weeks ahead.  If not, they’ll be dealing with another hurdle when it comes to free agency in July.

Cap Creativity

Last offseason, Chayka was very creative with his cap space, adding the retired contract of Pavel Datsyuk as well as injured center Dave Bolland in an effort to add quality young talent to the organization.  That also resulted in them using long-term injury reserve to stay in cap compliance despite the fact that they had one of the lowest actual payrolls in the NHL.

Datsyuk’s contract now comes off the books, as does that of Chris Pronger, who last saw NHL action in 2011-12.  As a result, the Coyotes have some more space to work with that Chayka could potentially use in a similar way this offseason.  The salary cap is not expected to go up by a substantial amount this summer (pending the NHLPA’s usage of their 5% inflator) which is going to create that much more of a cap crunch that Arizona could potentially capitalize on once again.

If they do opt to go that route, they would be wise to only bring in short-term contracts.  While the team has plenty of room to work with now due to so many players being on entry-level deals, that won’t be the case for too long so they won’t want to potentially burden themselves down the road.  That said, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Chayka make at least one similar move this summer as he looks to flood the organization with as big of a young core as possible.

Decisions On Veterans

Shane Doan’s situation drew a lot of attention during the season as there were rumblings that he might be open to being traded at the deadline and leave the only organization he’s ever known.  He wound up staying put and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.  There has yet to be a decision as to whether or not he wants to play another year and if the organization wants to bring him back, at least in an on-ice capacity.

Feb 13, 2017; Calgary, Alberta, CAN; Arizona Coyotes goalie Mike Smith (41) guards his net against the Calgary Flames during the first period at Scotiabank Saddledome. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsGoaltender Mike Smith is another interesting case.  He has two years left on his deal with a $5.67MM cap hit and has underachieved the past few years.  Normally, given those two elements, he’d be perceived as tough to deal but it’s shaping up to be an offseason that could be full of goalies changing places.  Several of those are change of scenery candidates and a case can certainly be made that Smith could be in a similar spot.  It’s worth noting that Smith has a full no-trade clause that he would need to waive in order to be dealt.

Given that the Coyotes have a grand total of two skaters under contract that are over the age of 30 (forward Brad Richardson and defenseman Alex Goligoski), it’s likely that Chayka will look to add a couple of veteran voices either via trade or free agency as well.  They’re more content than other rebuilding teams to put their key youngsters in big minute situations right away but it’s likely that they’ll still want some more experiences players in the room to act as a supporting cast on and off the ice.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pacific Notes: Miller, Doan, McDavid, Andersson

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Longtime broadcaster Bob Miller called his last home game Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and Los Angeles Times writer Tom Hoffarth parallels the broadcaster’s sendoff to that of Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully.

Miller who has worked 3,352 days as the voice of the Kings (with one game to go), called an exciting 3-2 overtime victory over the Blackhawks.

The Kings trailed 2-1 with 1:16 remaining in the game and the broadcast put up a window in which forlorn Miller waved goodbye to Kings’ fans. Seconds later, Dustin Brown tied the game, elating Miller. Not long into OT, Drew Doughty put in the game winner to Miller pumping his fists in victory.

“It was perfect the way it happened,” said the 78-year-old Miller as he came into the media room following a postgame ceremony where he addressed the crowd and thanked them for their support. “It was a great day.”

It’s a good piece, if you are a fan of the legendary broadcaster.

Other notes:

  • Veteran Shane Doan notched an assist and played 17:10 in Saturday’s finale for the Arizona Coyotes. The 40-year old has wrapped up his 21st straight season, all with the Coyotes organization and it could have been his final game of his career after 1,540 games. “I truly haven’t made up my mind yet and that is probably one of the reasons why I haven’t, because if I had made up my mind it’d be a pretty emotional night and I didn’t want that,” Doan said after Arizona’s 3-1 loss to Minnesota at Gila River Arena. “I don’t know if that is the only reason but that is one of them. There is still a lot of me that wants to play. I enjoyed tonight though.”
  • Edmonton Oilers Connor McDavid needs two points today in the regular season finale against the Vancouver Canucks. If he does it (and in his first full season in the NHL), he would be the first Oiler to reach 100 points since Doug Weight did it in 1995-96. Regardless, he is likely to win the Art Ross Trophy and a candidate for the Hart Trophy.
  • The Calgary Flames have assigned defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Stockton Heat, one day after finally getting to play in his NHL debut. The former second-rounder in 2015 was recalled on March 10, but has been a healthy scratch for 14 straight games until he made his debut last night. Andersson goes back along with goaltender David Rittich, who did not see any playing time. Both players are being returned to play against the San Jose Barracudas.

Pacific Notes: Doan, Couture, Flames

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The Coyotes plan to speak with long-time captain and pending unrestricted free agent Shane Doan on Monday during their exit interviews and make a decision as to whether or not they try to bring him back after, writes Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic.  For his part, Doan acknowledged that remains undecided on whether or not he wants to play another season (and that there is no timetable for that decision to be made) but that he doesn’t see himself playing anywhere but Arizona.

The 40 year old has played his entire 21 year career with the organization and has seen his production dip significantly this season, posting just six goals and 20 assists, his lowest output since 1998-99.  His agent, Terry Bross, suggests that the moves that the team makes over the coming months could potentially play a role in Doan’s decision as well.  If that is the case, this decision could drag out well into the offseason.  Last summer, Doan re-signed with the Coyotes back on July 12th and will receive deferred money on that contract through 2022.

Other notes from the Western Conference:

Snapshots: Doan, Graovac, Hellberg

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Shane Doan will be on all the blooper reels for the next while. The Arizona Coyotes captain is fine after colliding hard with Jakob Chychrun in warm up last night, and missing most of the first period. According to Dave Vest of NHL.com, he team had checked him for a concussion, but ruled that he had just had the wind knocked out of him.

I didn’t know it was him that hit me. I was looking back at [Oliver Ekman-Larsson] and got hit. I had no idea who it was that hit me … I haven’t been hit that hard in a long, long time.

The Coyotes ended up winning a 1-0 game over the Colorado Avalanche in a battle between the worst teams in the NHL. It couldn’t have started in a way more fitting to what was to come, with the next wave of the Coyotes literally checking the old guard out of the way.

  • As expected, the Minnesota Wild have officially recalled Tyler Graovac from Iowa of the AHL. After Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reported yesterday that Martin Hanzal was sick with the flu and wouldn’t be with the team for the next two games, Graovac was the easy call up. As Russo points out, it will be interesting to see if Graovac figures into the lineup immediately for one of Jordan Schroeder or Ryan White or if he’s just there for insurance.
  • The New York Rangers have sent Magnus Hellberg back to the AHL despite not having two healthy goaltenders at the NHL level. With Henrik Lundqvist out two to three weeks, Hellberg is expected to be the backup behind Antti Raanta for the next little while. The Rangers are off until Friday, but so are the Hartford Wolfpack which makes this move very interesting. It may be just a paper transaction to save Hellberg’s NHL salary for a few days, but either way it will be answered later this week when they make a move to bring someone up.

Deadline Notes: Rangers, Red Wings, Coyotes

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The New York Rangers missed out on Kevin Shattenkirk last night when he went to their division rival—and opponent tonight—the Washington Capitals. The team has been rumored to be after a right handed defenseman and may be in even more dire straits as Dan Girardi is out tonight following an ankle injury. Dan Rosen of NHL.com reports that with him out and Kevin Klein still dealing with a back injury, the Rangers are down to just five healthy defensemen with the team. They’ll bring up Steve Kampfer for tonight’s game, but may need a more permanent solution.

While the Rangers may not have acquired Shattenkirk, they have been linked to Brendan Smith of the Detroit Red Wings and could look within their division for a player like Kyle Quincey. Though neither bring the level of play the new Capitals’ defenseman does, both could help provide depth as they get healthy.

  • Bob McKenzie of TSN mentioned Smith today on Twitter, saying that it is decision day for the Red Wings. If they do want to extend him, McKenzie believes it would take at least three years at $3.5MM. The Wings recently extended Nick Jensen for two more seasons and have said they want to do the same with Smith. If they can’t get it done today though, they should seriously consider moving him and trying to bring him back in the summer. That team needs as many assets as possible going forward, and with the defense market getting pretty thin, they might do quite well.
  • Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports writes that though Shane Doan is still available, he is unlikely to move before the deadline. According to Morgan, teams only view him as a 13th or 14th forward, instead of the capable winger he still believes himself to be. While obviously anything can change in the next 28 hours, perhaps he will finish his career with the franchise (but not team) that drafted him.
  • McKenzie also mentions that the Tampa Bay Lightning have likely approached Valtteri Filppula and asked to waive his no-trade clause. Filppula poses a real problem for the Lightning both with their cap crunch and expansion draft plans.

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