Snapshots: Doan, Karlsson, Nemeth
The Arizona Coyotes will retire the first number in the history of their franchise when they raise Shane Doan‘s #19 sweater to the rafters this season. The ceremony will take place on February 24th, fittingly against the Winnipeg Jets where Doan started his career. Doan’s Jets turned into the Coyotes after just one season in Winnipeg, and he would spend the next two decades growing the game of hockey in an extremely non-traditional market.
His influence on the Coyotes was obvious, recording 972 points in 1,540 career games and serving as captain for more than a dozen seasons, but his legacy may best be remembered by the players that come after him. Auston Matthews is already a star in the NHL, and credits Doan as one of the biggest reasons he wanted to become a hockey player in the first place.
- Craig Custance of The Athletic tweets that there is no contract imminent between the Vegas Golden Knights and restricted free agent William Karlsson, meaning his August 4th arbitration hearing is still scheduled. Karlsson is an incredibly difficult case to handicap, after exploding for 43 goals and 78 points this season despite scoring just 15 and 45 over his first two NHL seasons. The Golden Knights have already handed out several long-term contracts to players they deem core pieces, and could still work something out with Karlsson over the next few days.
- Adrian Dater of BSN Denver reports (subscription required) that the Colorado Avalanche will announce a settlement with Patrik Nemeth today, avoiding his arbitration hearing on Saturday. Nemeth was one of just three players left with a hearing on the books after Cody Ceci and Gemel Smith met with the arbitrator today, though was still outside the period where a salary ask was required to be submitted. After finding himself in an increased role with the Avalanche this season, Nemeth recorded 15 points in 68 games and was a key part of their penalty kill.
Ekman-Larsson Injury Not Considered Serious
2:40: The Arizona Coyotes tweeted that Ekman-Larsson’s was examined by team doctors today and it was determined there is no structural damage and he is currently listed as day-to-day.
9:17: NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks in Saturday’s preseason game. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.
Morning Notes: NBC Olympics, Ekman-Larsson, Desjardins
The NHL will be going dark on national television during the two and a half weeks that the Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea will be on the air, according to the New York Post’s Larry Brooks. The NHL, who will not be participating in this year’s Olympics, have been informed that no NHL games will be televised by any NBC affiliate during the dates of Feb. 7-26.
While the original TV schedule had no games listed, it was believed that NBC would add games into their TV lineup to air NHL hockey games. However, Brooks writes that he believes it’s NBC’s way of “giving a symbolic middle finger” to Gary Bettman and the Board of Governors for withholding its players from this Olympics, which NBC will also be televising. Last year, the NHL previously aired 20 NHL hockey games during those same dates.
The NHL has stated previously that it did not want to participate in the Olympics next year for many reasons, but chief among them was they didn’t want to take a 17-day break at a time when the NHL should get its highest ratings with the NFL season completed and MLB’s season not having gotten started. However, now without national TV exposure, it looks as if they may not get that exposure anyhow.
- NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that Arizona’s Oliver Ekman-Larsson will be re-evaluated today after suffering a lower-body injury during overtime against the San Jose Sharks. The defenseman had to be helped off the ice. The 26-year-old has been one of the few bright spots on the Coyotes roster the last few years and was expected to lead a renewed effort to get out of the basement of the Western Conference. It’s also rumored that Ekman-Larsson is next in line to be named captain to replace long-time leader Shane Doan.
- In a separate story, NBC Sports Cam Tucker writes that New York Rangers’ Andrew Desjardins will face a disciplinary hearing on Monday with the NHL Department of Player Safety for his hit on New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood during Saturday’s preseason game. Desjardins received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head during the middle of the first period. Wood was slow to get to his feet and went through concussion protocol, but was cleared and allowed to return to the game. The 31-year-old center was on a PTO with the Rangers. He previously played three years with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Morning Notes: Duclair, Stafford, Doan
While they ultimately agreed on a one-year deal, the Coyotes and winger Anthony Duclair did discuss multi-year agreements, reports Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic. However, given Duclair’s struggles last season that saw him record just five goals in 58 games, this contract made a lot of sense and GM John Chayka likes the message that it sends.
“I think that’s a good lesson for all players coming off their entry-level deal. If they want term and dollar, that’s available to them but they have to perform. And if they don’t perform, then they’re going to have to earn it. That’s how we’re going to operate moving forward.”
McLellan also reports the team has extended a couple of PTO offers although none have been accepted just yet. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them add a blueliner for training camp with Jakob Chychrun still not being able to skate for a while yet.
Other news from around the hockey world:
- While it had been speculated that the Bruins would show some interest in bringing back winger Drew Stafford, Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe notes that Boston never engaged in serious talks to re-sign him. Stafford settled for a one-year, $800K contract with the Devils late last month.
- Although he announced his retirement last week, former Coyote Shane Doan is still on the radar for Team Canada for the upcoming Olympics, head coach Willie Desjardins told CBC’s Devin Heroux. Doan does have experience playing at that level as he was part of the Canadian entry back in 2006. However, it stands to reason that he would have to be playing somewhere for him to really garner serious consideration for a roster spot and at age 40, it’s far from a given that he’d go overseas to play for a few months primarily to keep him in the mix for the Olympics.
Poll: Does Shane Doan Belong In The Hall Of Fame?
With the announcement of his retirement after 21 years in the league, the biggest question involving Shane Doan—other than a possible Olympic berth—is will his long outstanding career be enough for the Hall of Fame. While those who knew him best would immediately shout yes based on just his leadership and experience, the Hall rarely inducts on intangibles alone.
Doan retires as #92 on the all-time points list, and will likely stay there for at least another season. The closest active player is Henrik Zetterberg, who would need 69 points this season to overtake him. While landing in the top-100 certainly starts his case with a bang, that total is inflated because of how many games he’s played. Doan ranks 14th in games played in the history of the NHL with 1,540 but should drop to 15th this season if Patrick Marleau can stay healthy. While the points-per-game rate isn’t perfect, the rest of the top-20 in games played are all either in the Hall of Fame, active (Marleau), or still looking for a job this summer (Jaromir Jagr and Jarome Iginla).
So it comes down mostly to what goes into your decision. Does his longevity hurt his case by looking at a point-per-game rate instead of raw totals, or does it help it by proving his worth over more than two decades worth of changes in the NHL. What do you think? Will Doan make it to the Hall of Fame someday?
Does Shane Doan Belong In The Hall Of Fame?
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Yes 53% (628)
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No 47% (563)
Total votes: 1,191
[Mobile users click here to vote!]
Shane Doan Officially Announces Retirement
After a career spanning decades, one of the most well-liked players in the NHL has called it quits. Shane Doan, in a special article for AZCentral, has officially announced his retirement from the NHL.
Drafted by the original Winnipeg Jets franchise in 1995, Doan has been a part of the Arizona Coyotes since their inception. As Winnipeg moved to the desert, they said goodbye to their old face of the franchise in Teemu Selanne, traded in the last year in Winnipeg, and welcomed in a group of new young players led by Keith Tkachuk, Jeremy Roenick and Doan.
It would still be a few years before Doan would make a big impact, but when he got to the top he never looked back. He would score 26 goals in his fifth season, and immediately start to take a leadership role on with the team. Even as they struggled to draw fans in the desert, Doan ascended to the captaincy in 2003, where he would remain until retirement. The Coyotes have not yet named a successor.
In 1,540 games with the Jets/Coyotes, Doan amassed 972 points including 402 goals, and took them to the playoffs on nine occasions. He was never the most skilled offensive player in the league, but would rack up points by being one of the hardest workers on the ice night in and night out. That work ethic earned him a spot on the Canadian Olympic team in 2006, and several World Championship squads over the years.
Even throwing his solid career scoring numbers to the side, the simple fact is that without Doan the Coyotes franchise may well have been no more. While the team has had trouble drawing fans and support almost since moving from Winnipeg, Doan has remained as positive and loyal as ever, and inserted himself into the community. He and his wife raised four children in the Valley, and even won the Pat Tillman award together in 2007 for Community Leadership. The pair were well known in the area, and young players like Auston Matthews often credit Doan as the reason the game has grown so quickly there.
Though there would be a possibility of Doan joining the Canadian Olympic squad at the upcoming 2018 games, GM Sean Burke has been clear that he thinks all of his players will need to be actively playing somewhere in the world to be ready for the speed of the tournament. It doesn’t sound like Doan will be suiting up for a European team anytime soon, meaning he’ll have to be a spectator once again.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Vegas Notes: Marchessault, Neal, Perron, Sbisa
While it’s almost impossible to guess what the Vegas Golden Knight’s roster may look like from year-to-year for the forseeable future as general manager George McPhee has made it clear that trading for draft picks is his first and foremost goal, there are some who see trends already and, according to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, don’t be surprised at all if forward Jon Marchessault is re-signed to a long-term deal next year.
Fox did a podcast with Las Vegas Review-Journal hockey writer Steve Carp (podcast on website), who says that Marchessault’s familiarity with former Florida Panthers’ head coach Gerard Gallant will make him want to stay in Vegas. The 26-year-old center will be joining his fourth team and has had his ups and downs after going undrafted early in his career. Before his 30-goal breakout season last year, he had only played in 49 career NHL games. He credits some of his success to Gallant, who was his head coach before being dismissed during the season. However, now that they are reunited in Las Vegas, he may look to stay where he is wanted.
- Carp also says that the two most valuable trade chips at next year’s trade deadline will be James Neal and David Perron. While Neal’s name comes as no surprise after putting up 54 goals in the past two years, Perron’s value is unknown. The 29-year-old wing is far from his 28-goal season back in 2013-14, but did manage to play a full season last year in St. Louis and put up 18 goals. The belief is that McPhee is hoping to get second-round picks for each player, although Carp says he probably would be willing to accept a third-rounder, if needed. The Golden Knights whose emphasis is on receiving picks between the first and third round need help for next year’s draft. After having six picks in this year’s draft (including three first-rounders), Vegas has just two for 2018, yet seven in 2019 and five picks in the first three rounds in 2020. They hope the trade deadline will net them those 2018 picks.
- Carp adds that one other issue with having 11 defenders currently on their roster is that nine of them are left-handed. Of all the defensemen on the roster, Carp says that McPhee wants to move Luca Sbisa, who has one year left on his deal, but at $3.6MM. “He’s 27 but he’s got a lot of money [owed to him],” Carp said. “I’m not sure if George didn’t overplay his hand a little bit in taking all these defencemen thinking he could flip ’em quickly for picks.”
- Neal is also the likely candidate to become team captain, according to Carp. While Vegas has played up Marc-Andre Fleury as the face of the franchise, goaltenders are not permitted to be “on ice” captains.
- Don’t expect the Golden Knights to sign one of the many veteran free agent forwards, according to Carp. A veteran does not fit in with the Golden Knight’s plans of developing youth or using veterans to trade for picks since no one seems to want players like Shane Doan or Jaromir Jagr now when they are available.
Latest On Shane Doan’s Future
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.
Jordan Martinook Re-Signs With Arizona
The Arizona Coyotes and two-way forward Jordan Martinook have avoided arbitration, coming to terms on a new deal today. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports that Martinook has signed a two-year, $3.6MM deal to remain in the desert. The two sides have reportedly been close on contract terms for a while, but there was also speculation that Martinook would wait for his arbitration hearing this Wednesday, July 26th, before making a decision. Instead, the big forward has signed on for two more years with the promising young Coyotes, where he could soon take on a larger role for the team.
Martinook, in just his second full NHL season, has already shown that he is a model of consistency and effort. Capable of playing both center and left wing, Martinook is the perfect versatile bottom-six forward. He plays a smart two-way game, including leading the Coyotes’ penalty kill unit, and brings a physical edge and swift defensive style. He can also put up some offense, with 24 and 25 points respectively in his first two full seasons, including 11 goals in 2016-17.
The 24-year-old Martinook is just beginning to show his NHL upside, and should take on a much larger role for Arizona going forward. Amazingly, with Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata now gone, Martinook is second only to Tobias Rieder in games played with Arizona among forwards on the team with just 166 contests. The absence of those veterans will naturally allow for more ice time and scoring opportunity for Martinook, but as full-effort player and one of the longest-tenured forwards on a young term, Martinook could also be in line for a leadership position in the locker room. At just $1.8MM per year for a well-rounded player about to take the next step in his development, GM John Chayka and the Coyotes may have a bargain on their hands with Martinook’s new contract.
Top Ten Remaining UFAs
Before NHL free agency opened up this summer, PHR published a list of the top-50 NHL UFAs. Two weeks into the offseason and the majority have signed deals—leaving 18 out of 50 still looking for a new NHL contract. Below are the top ten players still on the market:
[initial writeups credited to PHR’s Gavin Lee]