Why the Vancouver Canucks should have worked harder to get Shane Doan –NHL Special
Shane Doan was one of the most looked at free agent candidates over the offseason as the veteran player’s contract with his long time team, the Phoenix Coyotes, came to an end and had him contemplating a possible move to another team if his demands were
not met.
During the 2011-2012 National Hockey League (NHL) regular season, the Coyotes captain had been demanding the team find a new owner after it came under the league’s wing, in order to not only stabilize themselves financially but also have a voice to stand
up for their rights when it came to dealing with the league itself.
The 2012 NHL Playoffs were especially hectic as the Phoenix Coyotes had the best run of their history in the league by reaching the Western Conference Finals against Los Angeles Kings for the first time. It was a struggle due to a number of technicalities
and having to face the music when things got rough. One example of this was when Raffi Torres was handed down a historic 25-game suspension for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks’ Marian Hossa, and Phoenix had no voice to support their claim of it being illegal
and against the rules.
It is obvious that the Vancouver Canucks need fresh talent to take the stage as the veterans have failed at a number of points throughout these past few season. Roberto Luongo, one of the NHL’s most celebrated goalies even chocked up on times when Vancouver
Canucks needed him the most, while a youngster like Braden Holtby took the Washington Capitals past the 2011 Stanley Cup champions during the quarterfinals and eliminated them in his first major league performance.
Younger players are definitely a major force for any team, but what the Vancouver Canucks were really lacking was a veteran player with leadership qualities to lead them forward and seeing how Doan got Phoenix Coyotes to their landmark in the Western Conference
Finals, adding him would have definitely given foresight to the Vancouver franchise in all regards.
Some experts would argue that the money needed to be spent on acquiring Shane Doan could be spent elsewhere, but that supposition would only be good at a time when there would have been a better variety of players in the free agent market. Besides Doan at
that time, things were tight as most players had a team set in mind and were not going to be moved into joining another club without a special offer.
Whatever people may say about Shane Doan, the veteran has proven to be timeless and continues to be one of the best in the league as he alone took the Phoenix Coyotes from the ground to the top after hard work and loyalty were involved.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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