You know its a slow day in the Twittersphere and on the internet when old Shane Doan to Buffalo rumours become a story.
I told you in this space in mid July that the Buffalo Sabres offered UFA procrastinator Shane Doan four years and $30 million contract. Darcy Regier has made no bones about the fact that he wants Doan to play in Buffalo. The 36 year old winger is so popular that two Eastern conference squads ponied up $7.5 million per season, for for seasons. Its believed the the other team is Pittsburgh.
Doan is presently high atop the Christmas lists of 6-10 NHL teams.
On Tuesday night, ESPN's John Bucigross tweeted:
Was told tongiht that Buffalo''s four year, 30 million dollar offer to Shane Doan is legit. Coyotes only want to go two years for now.
At this point, the Sabres, and other clubs, could offer $8+ million per season times 6 seasons. It really wouldn't matter to Doan and his family. Doan is rooted on the left coast. His wife and four kids are key factors in his final decision of where he will eventually play. Happy wife, happy life. I've been told that the Canucks have offered Doan a five year, $40 million contract. Tempting money to be sure. Not so fast. How can Mike Gillis offer an $8 million per year deal to a 36 year old? How can he make an "outsider" the highest paid player on the Canucks? Daniel and Hank Sedin are each $6.1 million cap hits.
Doan has been loyal to a fault to prospective Coyotes owner, Greg Jamison. I'm told that Jamison is inching closer to securing every last penny of the NHL's $170 million asking price in order to buy the Coyotes from the NHL. The fairy tale ending is Jamison buying the Coyotes thus keeping Doan and his family planted firmly in the desert. Worst case scenario is that Jamison loses his bid to buy the Coyotes and the Doans would settle in Vancouver.
If he doesn't land in Phoenix, Doan will end up in Vancouver.
Sabres fans have resigned themselves to the fact that Doan ain't accepting any deal to uproot his family to move to Western New York. Teppo Numminen, Doan's friend, is a good salesman. He's not that good.
Recently, Doan's agent, Terry Bross and I exchanged emails. Bross told me:
"Buffalo is still in the mix".
Of course they are. It looks to me like Bross is using Buffalo's offer to leverage a better deal in Phoenix and in Vancouver.
I've said it before and I'll say it again:
Regier shoudl have stamped a born-on date of 48 hours on his 4 years, $30 million deal. If Doan wanted to play in Buffalo for Monopoly money, he would've signed the deal in a heart beat. His hesitation tells me that he's not interested in Buffalo.
If Regier and Pegula want to improve their roster, they should sign Tyler Ennis to a multi-year contract extension now.
Earlier this Summer, on a Chamber of Commerce, 90 degree day in June, I had the pleasure to share a moment with the one and only Rick Jeanneret. We were standing in the luncheon line that preceeded the Kenmore Mercy Hopsital Foundation golf tournament at the picturesque Legends On The Niagara. I congratulated RJ on his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, where he will be rightfully and respectfully enshrined in November 2011.
I told RJ that I was genuinely moved and got a little teary-eyed when I saw the raw emotional joy of the reaction that his mother gave him on the night that Jeanneret was inducted into the Sabres Hall of Fame in November 2011.
Jeanneret told that he was thrilled that his kids, grand kids, wife, and the "whole kit and kaboodle" were in attendance that night to witness his Sabres HOF induction.
"Family above all else", RJ told me that day. Wiser words have never been spoken.
I told him that if it were up to me, his picture would adorn the sign outside of Legends On Niagara. He laughed and told me that I had a vivid imagination. Then, he proceeded to shake every hand and pose for every cell phone photo of every fan of his who waited in line to stand in the presence of his humble greatness.
Rick Jeanneret accepted another Hall of Fame induction on Tuesday night. The Buffalo Broadcasters Association have bestowed the honor upon RJ for his 40+ years of broadcast excellence.
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