Shane Doan's most prominent fan is wishing him well in retirement.

Auston Matthews replied to an NHL tweet - which shared Doan's decision Wednesday - and reaffirmed the former Arizona Coyotes captain's status as his hero.

Matthews, who grew up in Arizona and became a Coyotes fan at an early age, has previously cited Doan as one of his favorite players, and called him his idol back in June when Doan and the Coyotes parted ways.

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As rumors around his potential departure continue to swirl, John Tavares and the New York Islanders are seemingly no closer to a new contract than they were when the regular season concluded in April.

According to TSN's Darren Dreger, the two sides have yet to even discuss financial specifics for any new potential deal.

While Tavares is New York's captain and the face of the franchise, the cloud of doubt continues to grow over whether he and the Islanders will ever get a contract done.

The 26-year-old center recently stirred the pot of rumors when he said he was in no rush to get an extension signed, and that he was still trying to determine what was best for his future.

Tavares has registered 537 points in 587 career regular-season games for New York, and becomes an unrestricted free agent in July 2018.

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Shane Doan's place in Arizona Coyotes (and original Winnipeg Jets) history is undisputed, but is he worthy of enshrinement in hockey's hallowed hall?

The 40-year-old, who retired Tuesday after a 21-year NHL career spent entirely with the aforementioned franchise, leaves the organization as its all-time leader in goals, assists, points, games played, game-winning goals, and power-play markers.

While his production and longevity were impressive, Doan's place in league lore is a little more debatable. His 402 goals have him tied for 91st on the all-time list, equalling 2017 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Paul Kariya, but he needed 551 more games.

His 972 points put him 92nd on the all-time list, one behind Hall of Famer Andy Bathgate and seven more than Maurice "Rocket" Richard. But again, Doan required 471 more games than Bathgate and 562 more than the Montreal Canadiens legend.

So given the context, does Doan warrant a plaque alongside the game's most legendary players?

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Longtime Arizona Coyotes captain Shane Doan announced his retirement Wednesday in a farewell letter published in the Arizona Republic.

The two-time All-Star spent his entire 21-year career with the franchise, and finishes as Arizona's all-time leader in games played, goals, assists, and points. Doan and the Coyotes agreed to part ways in June, but it was widely expected the 40-year-old veteran would seek another NHL gig.

Despite coming off his worst offensive season in four years (six goals and 21 assists), Doan had reported interest from multiple clubs to return for the 2017-18 campaign.

The former seventh overall draft pick finishes his career with 402 goals, 570 assists, and 972 points.

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Max Domi is setting a high bar.

The Arizona Coyotes winger will enter his third NHL season this October, and he's aiming for bigger and better things after two years of playoff misses.

"You watch a team like Chicago, and the confidence that a team like that has. They know they're going to win every night. Pittsburgh, same thing," Domi told TSN 1050 on Tuesday. "You go in, you're a little nervous to play against a team like that because of the confidence they walk around with, the swagger they have on the ice, the plays, the preparation they've had.

"That's an elite franchise. We can be that. There's no question about it. We have the personnel to do that. We've just got to find a way to get there."

Domi, 22, saw a step back in his second season, putting up just 38 points after tallying 52 the year prior. But the scoring winger now has some reinforcements on board to help push Arizona's offense, particularly veteran center Derek Stepan, added in a blockbuster deal with the New York Rangers. Highly-touted rookie forward Clayton Keller is also expected to slot into the Coyotes' ranks up front.

As far as other offseason changes in Arizona, the most important may have come behind the bench. Domi sees the addition of head coach Rick Tocchet as a positive, and he's encouraged that his new bench boss will urge the Coyotes' young talent to show its offensive creativity.

"To bring a guy like 'Tocch' in is exciting for a player like myself and the kind of guys we have on our team," Domi told TSN 1040. "He plays a fast game. He's won three Cups himself - two as a coach and one as a player. You can't really ask for more from a coach than that."

Domi and Keller aside, Tocchet will have plenty of young hands to call upon this season, including center Christian Dvorak and wingers Brendan Perlini and Anthony Duclair, among others. It is this core that will be looked to lead Arizona forward, pushing the franchise to join the NHL's elite.

The first step? Qualifying for the postseason, as an absence this spring would mark six-straight playoff misses in the desert.

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Fans of the Arizona Coyotes can breathe a sigh of relief.

General manager John Chayka provided an update on the status of defenseman Jakob Chychrun on Tuesday, offering that the blue-liner will not be out of the lineup for the entire year due to a knee injury he sustained earlier this offseason.

"It's definitely not season-ending," Chayka told Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports. "He's progressing really well, rehabbing with top people. It's really about how his body responds but the things he's doing right now in his rehab are pretty amazing."

Related - Tocchet: 'Beast' Chychrun won't miss entire season with knee injury

Chayka noted Chychrun is unlikely to be in the lineup when the Coyotes open their season Oct. 5 against the Anaheim Ducks.

Selected with the 16th pick in the 2016 draft, the Florida native made the immediate jump to the NHL last season, picking up seven goals and 13 assists in 68 contests.

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Thomas Vanek's next stop could be Vancouver, as the Canucks are among the teams interested in the unrestricted free agent, his agent Brian Bartlett told Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 Sports on Tuesday.

Vanek, 33, spent much of last season with the Detroit Red Wings, where he netted 38 points in 48 games. He then added another 10 points in 20 contests following a trade to the Florida Panthers.

A move to Vancouver would mark Vanek's fourth stop in three seasons, after he spent the 2015-16 campaign with the Minnesota Wild.

The native of Austria has tallied 333 goals and 364 assists in 885 career games. Vanek's best season came in 2006-07, when he put up 84 points while with the Buffalo Sabres.

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