| Shane Doan has been clear that he would like to return to Phoenix. (Getty Images) |
The news in recent days has been good for the Phoenix Coyotes and those hoping they stay in the desert. The opposition turned in a little more than 1,500 signatures to try and get a referendum on the November ballot regarding the proposed lease agreement with the city and Greg Jamison. The city says that's less than the 1,862 needed.
With things finally looking bright for a deal to be reached with a new owner Shane Doan's departure is looking less likely by the minute as he has made it very clear he wants to stay in Phoenix if the ownership situation is squared away.
However one team is reportedly making it very difficult on him to say no according to John Gambadoro of KTAR 620 in Phoenix.
NHL source just confirmed to me that an Eastern Conference team has offered Coyotes Captain Shane Doan a 4-year deal worth more than 30 mill
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo620) July 13, 2012
Beg your pardon? Did I just read that some team in the East is offering 35-year-old Shane Doan a four-year contract that will be worth more than $7.5 million annually? Oh. Yes. Wow.
I like Doan, he's a good player still and a great guy to have on your team with his work ethic -- which Dave Tippett praises to the highest degree -- and leadership. But in no way, no how is Doan worth that kind of money, especially all guaranteed. Because he is 35 any deal he signs now will count against the salary cap no matter what. If Doan retires after next season? That $7.5-plus million would count against that team's cap for the remaining years of the contract.
For a player who is presumably on the back end of his career and just had 22 goals with 28 assists last season, that's crazy talk. It's honestly pretty hard to swallow the report until you realize that Gambadoro does seem to know a thing or two inside the Arizona sports scene having been on the Steve Nash to the Lakers stuff at the beginning.
Just for comparison's sake let's take the low end of the reported offer and say it's exactly $7.5 million per season. That cap hit would be tied for the ninth highest in the entire league with Steven Stamkos, Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik.
At this point I will be very surprised if Doan doens't re-sign with the Coyotes so we will probably never know if this is true or not and which team made the offer.
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