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John Gambadoro
Special for azcentral.com
Oct. 23, 2006 10:05 AM
Shane Doan doesn’t deserve this. He needs to find out that the grass really is greener on the other side. He needs to go play for an organization committed to winning. He needs to go somewhere where he has a chance to win.
Doan has been with the Coyotes organization for all of his 10 NHL seasons. He is not a superstar and never will be. He is a solid player who can help many teams win by being a solid second line winger. He is well respected and is a good lockeroom leader.
But there’s not much to lead in Phoenix. The Coyotes are awful. Eight games into the season, they have already dropped six. And it’s not the 2-6 record that has fans concerned, it’s the way the Coyotes are playing - with little heart, little emotion.
On Saturday night the Coyotes got shut out for the second consecutive game in their own building by a backup goaltender. Dallas netminder Mike Morris followed Los Angeles goalie Mathieu Garon in blanking the Coyotes. Just eight games into the season, the Coyotes have become the team in which opponents will rest their starting keeper and go with the backup.
The Coyotes are no threat to put the puck in the net. Since the opening 6-3 win over the New York Islanders, Phoenix has scored just 10 goals in its last seven games and five of those came against St. Louis.
The Coyotes were embarrassed in Detroit, losing 9-2, and gave fans nothing to cheer about in consecutive 4-0 home losses to the Kings and Stars
Doan is the captain. It is his team. He becomes a free agent after the season and although he has stated his desire to stay, why would he want to. The Coyotes are farther from winning now than at any point in their desert existence.
Doan could demand a trade and go to a contending team where he would have a chance to win, maybe the Calgary Flames, his hometown team. He could force the Coyotes’ hands. Although neither side has attempted to negotiate a new deal at this point, if Doan comes out publicly and say he will test the market the Coyotes would have to trade him. They are going nowhere fast and maybe trading Doan could net them something for the future, plus save them some money this year.
The way the team is playing, saving money may be a good idea. The stands at the Glendale Arena are half empty and when you can’t score in back-to-back home games against Pacific Division rivals, then you can’t expect the few fans you have to be excited about coming to the next game, and you certainly cannot win over new fans.
Everyone’s job should be on the line this season, from GM and the coach to the players. The Coyotes’ four points this season are the lowest in the Western Conference and the second worst in the NHL.
The power play stinks, as does the penalty kill. The team takes too many dumb penalties. They were supposed to be bigger and stronger this year and weren’t going to be pushed around. Thus far, they are being stomped on.
This collection of misfits that General Manager Mike Barnett and Vice President Cliff Fletcher put together look completely out of place. There is no chemistry among the players and no cohesiveness in the lockeroom. The players aren’t on the same page with each other or with the coaches.
Ed Jovanovski, he of the $7 million per year deal, has been terrible anchoring the worst defense in the NHL. Owen Nolan, who hadn’t played in almost three years before signing with Phoenix, looks more like last year’s version of Brett Hull than he does of his former self. Nolan can’t get to the puck. Mike Comrie was supposed to be traded after his 30-goal season last year but he is still here and part of the reason there is no chemistry. Georges Laraque needs to stop worrying about being Dr. Phil and giving love advice on his weekly radio show and work a little harder in practice. You can watch an entire game and not know for sure if Ladislav Nagy was on the ice.
Yes, the Coyotes miss Keith Ballard and Steven Reinprecht but that is no excuse for this horrific start to the season. As for Doan, you have to wonder if all the losing is starting to get to him. At some point, he needs to picture himself somewhere else. It may be nice living in Arizona and wearing the C on his jersey. He may not want to leave the only place he has ever known. But when is enough enough? As players get older winning becomes more important. And for Doan to win, he needs to leave.