James Tanner: The Ununderstandable Popularity of Shane Doan & Other Thoughts On Things Coyotes rundown.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the best defenseman in the league?

P.s I would love to have Shane Doan on my team.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the best defenseman in the league?

P.s I would love to have Shane Doan on my team.
- Mahewman

Yes, I think he is.

P.S You can have him (Doan).

Oliver Ekman-Larsson is the best defenseman in the league?

P.s I would love to have Shane Doan on my team.
- Mahewman

hes a great defencemen, but of course hes not the best. not yet anyway.
Duncan keith is without a doubt the best defender in the game.
and at this point, im not sure it even close really.


it was a little troll attempt to get a conversation started. I was hoping no one would bite. but I get it, its hard not to reply with something like; dude, you must be joking

doan is still nhl caliber. and he certainly wont be the worst player on the yotes this season.
but he is past his prime

If OEL were in Toronto, fans would find some reason to hate him too. Probably something related to his intangibles like "lack of leadership."

hes a great defencemen, but of course hes not the best. not yet anyway.
Duncan keith is without a doubt the best defender in the game.
and at this point, im not sure it even close really.


it was a little troll attempt to get a conversation started. I was hoping no one would bite. but I get it, its hard not to reply with something like; dude, you must be joking

doan is still nhl caliber. and he certainly wont be the worst player on the yotes this season.
but he is past his prime
- HB77

I don't know if I agree about Keith. OEL scored 23 and the highest Dcorsi in the NHL, meaning relative to his team and position he had the biggest impact. Certainly not going to begrudge anyone saying Keith, but I'll take the guy about to enter the peak of his prime.

Yes, I think he is.

P.S You can have him (Doan).
- James_Tanner

Obviously you watch Doan much more than I do so i dont know how much he has lost. Just a couple games a year for myself but he always seems to make a mark on the game and he has that intangible leadership quality. He seems to care, plays hard and hes tough.

Send him over, we will take him.

Obviously you watch Doan much more than I do so i dont know how much he has lost. Just a couple games a year for myself but he always seems to make a mark on the game and he has that intangible leadership quality. He seems to care, plays hard and hes tough.

Send him over, we will take him.
- Mahewman

Doan might be popular with the masses, but he isn't the same player he used to be. He's probably best in a tweener 2nd/3rd line role at this point in his career.

He is also creeping towards 20 years in the desert. Would be nice to see him retire there.

If OEL were in Toronto, fans would find some reason to hate him too. Probably something related to his intangibles like "lack of leadership."
- jfkst1

if he was in Toronto the biggest fanbase in hockey would be all over his inclusion among the games truly elite defenders. which he is regardless.

but hes got aways to go to prove hes better than keith.

which honestly probably isn't that far off as keith is gonna start regressing (but not anytime real soon) while oel is progressing.

but for now, Duncan showed in last years playoffs that not only is he still among the top few, he is the games best. jaw droppingly good during that run.

I don't know if I agree about Keith. OEL scored 23 and the highest Dcorsi in the NHL, meaning relative to his team and position he had the biggest impact. Certainly not going to begrudge anyone saying Keith, but I'll take the guy about to enter the peak of his prime.
- James_Tanner

oel had to compete with shane doan and tobias rieder in terms of impact.

keith has kane, toews, hossa etc etc etc

I don't know if I agree about Keith. OEL scored 23 and the highest Dcorsi in the NHL, meaning relative to his team and position he had the biggest impact. Certainly not going to begrudge anyone saying Keith, but I'll take the guy about to enter the peak of his prime.
- James_Tanner

And any normal person would take Keith, Weber, Doughty, or Karlsson first. OEL is barely in the top 10 as of this writing, and there are arguments to be heard for him not even being in the top 10.

He's a very, very good young defensmen. I personally have him at 11 or 12 overall in the league. IMO, everybody after the 4 I listed above are very interchangable. At the absolute highest, OEL is maybe 8 or 9.

Ill be incredibly surprised if even 1 fan on this forum puts OEL any higher than 7th-8th in the league, let alone that he is the best as you suggest. He very well could be the best in the league within the next few seasons, but he has a ways to go before he dethrones the likes of Keith, Doughty, Weber or Karlsson.

heh, thanks

I'm BIG on body language / mannerism giving one real insight into personality.

I've watched 'Doaner' and whatever the Imp name Ribero's nickname is for YEARS.

IMHO: Shane's a self righteous, moralizing [wienerhead] and Mike's an infuriating jackass I wouldn't mind calling a 'friend' (if only because his life drama made my life seem 'mundane').

I think I'd 'screw' with Shane (and his overt Christianity) as much as I possibly could get away with (and then little more).

I don't know if I agree about Keith. OEL scored 23 and the highest Dcorsi in the NHL, meaning relative to his team and position he had the biggest impact. Certainly not going to begrudge anyone saying Keith, but I'll take the guy about to enter the peak of his prime.
- James_Tanner

OEL is probably my #1 or #2 defensemen I would take if I were starting an expansion team today.

Hedman and Doughty are up there too.

Of all your opinions that are seen as extreme or ridiculous, Ekman-Larsson being the best defensemen is far from one of them. He's an incredible player

OEL is probably my #1 or #2 defensemen I would take if I were starting an expansion team today.

Hedman and Doughty are up there too.

Of all your opinions that are seen as extreme or ridiculous, Ekman-Larsson being the best defensemen is far from one of them. He's an incredible player
- sbroads24

You'd seriously take OEL over Doughty? Karlsson?

He's pretty close to Hedman, but he was on another level in the playoffs. If he's not elite yet, he's right freakin there.

You could say a lot of guys are the best: OEL, Karlsson, Hedman, Subban, Doughty and Keith are the best. When it comes down to it though, I'll take take the guy who's my favorite players as the best, since it'd be hard to argue conclusively who is really the best one.

You could say a lot of guys are the best: OEL, Karlsson, Hedman, Subban, Doughty and Keith are the best. When it comes down to it though, I'll take take the guy who's my favorite players as the best, since it'd be hard to argue conclusively who is really the best one.
- James_Tanner

Reasonable post

Tanner,

You should do a a blog with the Led Zeppelin song "Whole lotta Love"

But call it "Oel Lotta love".

You'd seriously take OEL over Doughty? Karlsson?

He's pretty close to Hedman, but he was on another level in the playoffs. If he's not elite yet, he's right freakin there.
- mochoson

Especially over Erik Karlsson.

Karlsson is great, and the best offensive defensemen in the game by a pretty large margin, but he is incredibly average in his own end. He routinely gets overpowered around the net and is barely trusted to kill a penalty.

Imagine how many points OEL would have had on an offensively competent team

I LOVE shane doan due to the fact that he's put up with so many awful teams, and he's stayed with his team. Not Marty st. Louis who abandoned his team when times got hard (not because it was a poopty team, because he was having a female dog fit toward his gm). (frank)ing puss.

Paul Goldschmidt is not as popular as Shane Doan, a player given a sentimental position on a losing hockey team whom the team really should have moved on from several seasons ago. It's not like I'm not a fan, but the cult-like appeal of this player is just not something I've ever really bought into. Yeah, he was great in his prime and it's cool he stayed with the team all those years, but he's long past his prime.

Dressing him is the NHL equivalent of still using a pager.

Tanner, I know you don't live in Arizona. But have you even ever been there? If you were at all familiar with the history of this franchise, you'd understand why Doan is so popular.

And would you stop with the trade Doan nonsense. He has a family who has settled there. He has a No Movement Clause. At the very best, he'll give permission to move to a contender at this deadline, the last one of his career.

Hard to believe Doan beat out Larry Fitzgerald.

Tanner,

You should do a a blog with the Led Zeppelin song "Whole lotta Love"

But call it "Oel Lotta love".


- Mr.Pink

I can't because that would violate my long-standing policy of not using puns.

Tanner, I know you don't live in Arizona. But have you even ever been there? If you were at all familiar with the history of this franchise, you'd understand why Doan is so popular.

And would you stop with the trade Doan nonsense. He has a family who has settled there. He has a No Movement Clause. At the very best, he'll give permission to move to a contender at this deadline, the last one of his career.
- yzermaneely

I have never been to Arizona. (Or traveled anywhere for that matter). I do understand why people love the guy, I'm not a robot. I just don't believe that sentimentality is a proper emotion for a franchise to have. I also do not care if he's settled there, what is he, a flower? The guys a millionaire, I could give a crap what he wants, to be honest.

But whatever, it's just something to make fun of. I could barely care if they didn't act obligated to give him first/second line ice time in exchange for third line performance.

It'd also go along way in changing the culture/makeup of the team.

Hard to believe Doan beat out Larry Fitzgerald.
- itsborken

Also surprised by this.