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Back in June, we were talking about the Los Angeles Kings and their impressive run to the Stanley Cup, upending teams that had a better regular season and had home field advantage at every level along the way.

When we hit the offseason, we wondered where Ryan Suter and Zach Parise, the two prizes of the offseason market, would end up. It turned out they both ended up in Minnesota, ready to improve the Wild’s chances dramatically next season, and perhaps for the next decade.

We returned to Rick Nash, wondering if and when he would ever get traded. He did. Columbus traded him to New York, much like everyone invariably expected they would.

Yet, an undercurrent through the entire offseason, and now the top story in most in NHL circles is the continuing saga of Shane Doan. Doan kept insisting that his priority was to return to Phoenix, but the economic situation there continues to be murky, and will remain so for the foreseeable future, so a return to the Desert Dogs was not possible. The standstill lasted while the free agent market was exhausted. Now it’s Doan and nobody else, and he has his pick of teams, and there is no hurry to make a grab at cash.

According to CBS sports, he is picking between three teams now, including the Rangers, Penguins and Canucks, though other sources are insisting that the Predators and Flyers are still options. This late in the offseason, Doan can likely pick a destination and get what he wants out of a contract, assuming that teams have the cash to give to him. This is probably why the Flyers and Preds are on the list, and the Coyotes aren’t.

It should all be solved soon, but then what will we talk about?

Ice Insiders Chris Berry Interactive Chris Berry Interactive