Edmonton Signs Boyd Gordon To Replace Eric Belanger

From the Oilers website:

10:37 AM - OILERS AGREE TO TERMS WITH BOYD GORDON AND JASON LABARBERA

The Oilers have agreed to terms with centre Boyd Gordon on a three-year deal ...

Boyd Gordon, 29, had four goals and 10 assists for 14 points with the Phoenix Coyotes last season. He ranked eighth in the NHL with a 57.3% faceoff percentage.

In 486 career NHL games with Phoenix and Washington, Gordon has 39 goals and 83 assists for 122 points and 100 penalty minutes.

Craig MacTavish signed the pivot to a three-year deal worth $9 million.

Gordon was one of Alan Hull's primary targets for the Oilers today:

If Craig MacTavish is not personally on the phone to Boyd Gordon's the second the UFA period opens on July 5th, I will be very surprised and very disappointed. The departure of Shawn Horcoff opens up a hole in the exact shape of Boyd Gordon for Edmonton. He plays very tough minutes (33% OZS this year) against the opposition's best and usually comes out breaking even or better in terms of shot attempt differential. He is an above 50% face-off man and a right-handed shot, which is sometimes difficult to find at Centre. On top of that, he led the Coyotes in ice time on the penalty kill. PHX didn't have the greatest PK stats this year, but they certainly weren't helped by Mike Smith's awful .831 Sv% when the opposition was on the powerplay. Also, for the local crowd, he is another local boy...from Unity, SK. For me, Gordon is option 1, 2 and 3 to replace Shawn Horcoff. He's also coming off a contract of only $1.325M/yr. so even with a considerable raise, I don't think he'll be unaffordable.

Alan saw him as a replacement for Shawn Horcoff, I disagree. If Boyd Gordon is going to replace Horcoff and Anton Lander is supposed to replace Belanger, the Oilers are going to have some serious problems at centre for the entire season.

If Gordon is supposed to replace Belanger, the Oilers upgraded significantly. Gordon is a solid faceoff man, and is willing to play the pack mule for younger, more talented forwards. MacTavish did give the ominous third year to Gordon, but at least he's giving a third year to a 30-year old, not a 34-year old as Tambellini did.