Predicting every NHL team’s future Hall of Famers

Arizona Coyotes – Shane Doan

Yes, Shane Doan should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. However, it won’t be as a player. Doan’s a unique case, as I think he might have a better shot of getting in as a builder. The definition of “builder” is vague enough for Doan to qualify as one.

As a player, there’s no easy way for me to say this – he wasn’t good enough to be in the Hall of Fame. Doan’s in the top 20 for most games played ever, but he’s not even in the top 90 in goals, assists, or points. He has two awards to his name, but they’re the King Clancy Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Award, which aren’t that relevant. Doan didn’t even crack 1,000 points.

That said, it’s impossible to consider his Hall of Fame case without considering everything he has done for hockey in Arizona. Without Doan, the Arizona Coyotes might not exist. Who knows if Auston Matthews would have played hockey if it wasn’t for Doan? Doan made people in Arizona care about hockey. That’s why he should be in the Hall – as a builder.

Honorable mentions: I cannot wait for Phil Kessel to be eligible for the Hall of Fame. That’s going to be one fun discussion. He’ll likely retire as one of the most prolific American hockey players of all-time. Kessel will retire with no fewer than two Stanley Cups. But Kessel isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and voters have proven they can be very petty.