{coyotes} Shane Doan 'absolutely' could be a Canuck

Tuesday, 10 July 2012

{coyotes} Shane Doan 'absolutely' could be a Canuck

Could one of the NHL's most coveted unrestricted free agents still available make a return to Canada?

"There is a possibility, absolutely," Shane Doan's agent, Terry Bross, told Vancouver's News 1130 Monday, that his client could become a Vancouver Canuck.

Although there is no guarantee that he'll leave the desert, the 35-year-old captain of the Phoenix Coyotes is testing the free-agent waters in light of the franchise's financial uncertainty.

Among other teams, Doan has spoken with Canucks assistant general manager Laurence Gilman about the possibility of the veteran signing with Vancouver.

"He has some relationships in the front office there. I believe the assistant GM was the one that signed Shane with the Winnipeg Jets," Bross said. "Shane has spoken with them, I've spoken with them, and there's mutual interest."

Prior to joining the Canucks in 2008, Gilman worked for 13 years in the Coyotes organization.

"I have spoken to Shane Doan on behalf of our organization a couple of times," Gilman confirmed to the Vancouver Sun on Monday. "I spoke with him on July 1 to express our interest in bringing him to Vancouver and subsequently followed up with Shane last night. I know from my experience in Phoenix that he has been interested in Vancouver in the past. He's a western Canadian guy whose wife is from Kamloops. So I think there is interest there. I had productive discussions with both Shane and his agent."

Before the Canucks starts sewing the D on the back of fresh jersey, however, it should be noted that there is plenty of interest in Doan. A reported 11 teams have expressed a desire to add the winner of the 2012 Mark Messier Leadership Award to their club. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings are just two other clubs confirmed to have had discussions with Doan.

"When you combine his physical play, the play on the ice, the leadership, and all the intangible qualities, it's pretty easy to see why so many teams would be willing to bring him into their organization," Bross said.

Doan registered his 11th 20-goal season in 2011-12 and helped lead the Coyotes to the Western Conference final for the first time. His previous contract carried a $4.55 million cap hit.

"Shane is a sought-after commodity, and there are a number of teams who would be interested in adding him to their roster," Gilman told the Sun. "So we'll see what happens."