2012 NHL Rumors: Did Shane Doan Price Himself Out Of New York?
Aaron Ward tweeted yesterday that Phoenix Coyotes captain Shane Doan might have priced himself out of an opportunity to play for the Detroit Red Wings. The original report was that Doan was given a four-year, $30-million offer from an Eastern Conference team. Now reports are surfacing that there might be a five-year offer on the table for Doan as well.
If Doan is actually mulling over a five-year, or a $30-million offer, then he's effectively priced himself out of New York as well. The Rangers, who have a few key restricted free agents who need to be taken care of in two years, really can't afford to open the checkbook for Doan after Glen Sather finally sealed the deal for sniper Rick Nash.
The Rangers do have something they can offer Doan, however, something that might make him back off the high price that he seems to have set for himself.
Join me after the jump for more.
What the Rangers can offer Doan is an opportunity to contend for the Stanley Cup. The Rangers came two wins away from the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and the team that beat them didn't get better this summer, in fact, they got worse.
If Doan is more interested in winning than he is about money (or proximity to home) then Sather should be able to make Doan at least give New York a long, hard look while he's thinking about the offers he has on the table. Doan would completely solidify the Rangers' top-six while Marian Gaborik is injured; and he would give the Rangers three legitimate scoring lines once Gaborik returned.
Doan would become another weapon on the power play, and would fit in well with the Rangers' ideology and team concept.
But if Doan is seeing nothing but dollar signs then the Rangers aren't a fit. Not even close. Remember, just because the Rangers have the cap space doesn't mean they need to spend up to the current cap. It probably won't last, and that space might become invaluable as time goes on.
So for Sather, it's time to offer Doan something few teams can, a legitimate chance at a Stanley Cup. For Doan, it's time to sit down and see what he really wants: does he want gold or silver?