Coyotes’ Shane Doan: ‘I’m not going anywhere’
Jul 2, 2016, 10:37 PM | Updated: Jul 3, 2016, 5:24 pm
Arizona Coyotes right wing Shane Doan scores a goal in the first period during an NHL hockey game against Winnipeg Jets, Thiursday, Dec. 31, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. Doan becomes the all time franchise scoring leader with his 380th goal. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Coyotes captain Shane Doan broke his silence on Saturday about the extended contract negotiations between the unrestricted free agent and the team.
“We’re close enough that I’m not really worrying about other teams and things like that,” Doan said. “I’m excited about what the team has done and encouraged by some of the (free-agent) signings. At the same time, I hope to get my own deal done and it has already been seven weeks. I wish that it had been done already.”
Doan’s four-year, $21.2 million contract expired July 1 following one of the best seasons of his career. He led the Coyotes with 28 goals, the third-best total of his career, and he recorded his second career hat trick. While Doan’s agent Terry Bross acknowledged that talks continue with the Coyotes, he had a different take on the state of those negotiations.
“Lots to be done. We’re not close,” Bross said. “(General manager) John (Chayka) and I continue to talk. No deal is imminent, but I’m cautiously optimistic.”
When asked why he thought the talks had taken so long, Doan admitted surprise that it became an old fashioned negotiation, given his history with the team, but he understands the Coyotes’ perspective.
“I feel the market that is set for me is different from what they think the market is and that’s really the extent of it,” he said. “They’re not budging and I’m not budging, but nobody’s mad at each other. We just have a different view. They’re saying ‘you’re a 40-year old player. There’s not really a market for you.’ I’m saying, ‘I led the team in goal scoring. There is a market for that.’
“I think everyone has expectations going into every negotiation and I’m sure they didn’t expect this. I’m sure they were going into it hoping it would be over quickly but there’s a difference of opinion on value and I guess that’s par for the course. That’s the way these things seem to go.”
Doan said Bross told him there were several offers on the table from other teams. Bross shed more light on that Saturday.
“Twelve teams have contacted me,” he said. “Three made substantial offers.”
Doan said he appreciated the interest.
“I’m not sure if it was just being curious or being gracious or people doing their due diligence, but I did appreciate it,” he said. “At the same time, I don’t want to play anywhere else. I had that opportunity before and I passed on it. I’m not going anywhere.”
Doan has played his entire 20-season career with the Jets/Coyotes franchise after Winnipeg selected him with the seventh overall pick in 1995. In a franchise-record 1,466 career games, he has a franchise-record 396 goals and a franchise-record 945 points, with a franchise-record 125 power-play goals.
As Arizona Sports reported a month ago, Doan and the Coyotes are working on a one-year deal but he has no idea if this will be his last NHL season.
“I know that I don’t have that many years left in me, but right now I’m training and enjoying it so we’ll go along — maybe even month to month,” he said, laughing. “I know I want to play and I enjoy playing. I had fun last season and I’d like to do it again.”
