Shane Doan Meets with the New York Rangers, but Still Waiting on the Coyotes

According to Arizonasports.com, Shane Doan met with the New York Rangers Friday: his first official free-agency visit of the offseason.

Doan, age 35, has spent his entire career with the Phoenix Coyotes franchise, but chose to test free agency because of the ownership situation in Phoenix.

Doan’s visit with the Rangers could have Coyotes fans feeling nervous and perhaps it should; but remember, Doan’s first wish is to remain in Phoenix. In a recent interview (via Cbssports.com) Doan made it clear that he will try to wait and gather as much information as he can on the Coyotes situation, in hopes of continuing his career in Phoenix.

Considering more than half the teams in the NHL have shown interest in Doan, it’s possible that this is just the first step in the process of meeting with several different teams to discuss potential offers or offers already on the table. CBA negotiations are currently taking place in New York, making it convenient for Doan to stop by and speak with Rangers management. 

At least six teams have made offers to the free-agent forward, including the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, Vancouver Canucks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, one team has offered Doan a four-year deal worth $30 million.

There aren’t many veteran NHL players who would be able to hold off on signing such a lucrative deal, which would see Doan make over $7 million per season on average. A substantial increase from the $4.55 million he made each of the past five seasons.

Since the city of Glendale rejected a petition that could have delayed the sale of the Coyotes to Greg Jamison, there has been no major news regarding the ownership situation. Whether that’s good or bad for Coyotes fans remains to be seen.

One thing is for certain, the longer the Coyotes ownership issues remain unsettled, the more likely Doan is to sign on with another team.