from Sarah McLellan of the Arizona Republic,

Ownership uncertainty has kept Doan in free agency, but his status will be settled soon. He has decided to sign before a possible lockout, which would start next Saturday when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

"If he leaves, it'll be a big blow to this franchise and this organization," goalie Mike Smith said. "I think it'll determine whether or not people sign back here or how we lure in free agents in the future. It'll definitely be interesting to figure all that out."

The lack of an owner has also affected Smith. The Coyotes planned to negotiate a contract extension for him this off-season, but talks were put on hold until ownership was resolved. That leaves Smith in the final year of a two-year deal worth $4 million.

Ownership, however, might not have been the only factor to halt negotiations as Smith is interested in Doan's future with the team.

"We were gonna kind of wait to see what Shane did, too," Smith said. "Obviously he's a huge piece of the puzzle in Phoenix."

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