On the Arizona Coyotes …
Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports: The 39-year old Shane Doan will be a free agent after this season, but he only wants to play with Coyotes.
“We’ll talk a little bit more about it and make sure that everything is lining up and in place,” Doan said. “My family, they are so supportive. If I decide I want to come back they’ll be just as happy, maybe happier (than me), but it’s going to be my decision when I make it and hopefully we’ll have it figured out soon.”
Martin Hanzal has a year left on his deal that pays him $3.5 million. Former GM Don Maloney was planning on talking about a contract extension this summer, but with Maloney now gone, he status is in doubt.
“A lot of guys know me here; Tip knows me,” said Hanzal, who was a Coyote for all nine seasons of Maloney’s tenure. “It would be nice to sign here because I love it here. I want to spend my career here. We’ll see how it goes this summer.”
Coyotes UFAs: Shane Doan, Kyle Chipchura, Boyd Gordon, Viktor Tikhonov, Nicklas Grossman, Alex Grant.
Coyotes RFAs: Tobias Rieder, Jiri Sekac, Sergei Plotnikov, Michael Stone, Connor Murphy, Klas Dahlbeck, Kevin Connauton, Jarred Tinordi, Louis Domingue.
Sarah McLellan: Heading into this season, Shane Doan said “I was pretty much positive it was going to be my last.” How he played this season will factor in to his decision.
Craig Morgan: Nothing will be put on hold while the Coyotes are looking to hire a new GM. LeBlanc said that they will still move ahead with re-signing some of their own free agents.
Sarah McLellan: Co-owner Anthony LeBlanc says they won’t be trading Oliver Ekman-Larsson for a draft pick. That doesn’t change with Don Maloney gone.
Craig Morgan: “To anyone who still believes the Coyotes will trade Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the No. 1 pick in the draft, I suggest you put down the pipe.”
Elliotte Friedman: Hearing that the Coyotes were interested in Maple Leafs Assistant GM Kyle Dubas, but talk is that his choice would be to remain with the Leafs.
Steve Simmons: For Kyle Dubas to be offered a position with the Coyotes, they would have had to ask the Maple Leafs for permission, and that hasn’t happened.