Doan expected to announce free-agent decision

Published Sep. 14, 2012 12:58 p.m. ET

foxsports

With an NHL lockout apparently imminent, Shane Doan is expected to announce his free-agent decision either Friday or Saturday.

Sources told FOXSPortsArizona.com last week that Doan has agreed to a deal in principle to stay with the Coyotes, but that is pending the finalizing of the team's sale to prospective owner Greg Jamison. Jamison has yet to complete the purchase; the City of Glendale has been seeking to renegotiate the deal to account for the possibility of a league-imposed lockout, which is expected to begin Saturday night when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

Doan, who has spent his entire career with the Coyotes franchise, needs to sign a contract prior to the beginning of the lockout to have the current CBA rules apply. It is expected that, following the lockout, the lengths of contracts will be limited and signing bonuses will be eliminated. The NHL has been seeking both of those modifications in negotiations.

Other than the Coyotes, it is not clear which teams the 35-year-old Doan is considering, although he told XTRA Sports 910 last week that he has between two and four other offers he is considering.

Check back with FOXSportsArizona.com and follow us on Twitter for more information and a simulcast of a press conference if one can be arranged.