He's quiet. He's unassuming. He won 55.8% of his faceoffs. He doesn't bring a lot of offense, but he's rock-solid defensively. He's Gordo, and he's an RFA.
Gordon's kind of a straight-forward player: not much offense, a lot of defense. Is there a place on this club for that? That's the question that seems to be on people's minds, and Gordon is considered by some to be a guy on the bubble. Dave Steckel, in his brief time in the NHL, has shown he can be an effective checking-line/energy-line center and does the team have room for two of those?
Well, a lot depends on if Fedorov comes back. If so, then you probably pencil Feds in at third line center. That leaves Gordon and Steckel to contend for the 4th line center spot, though you could possibly move one out on the wing.
Managing assets is a key component of the front office's job, and part of that is not losing assets without getting anything in return. As young, defensively-strong and relatively cheap players, guys like Gordon or Steckel would likely get picked up by another team if placed on waivers. As young players who still have some developing to do, it's also a worry about putting them in the press box night after night, which is a role probably better suited for a veteran.
DH's WAG: We're not sure how, but we see Gordon on the roster and on the ice next season. His PK ability, his faceoff ability, his relative affordability as well as his membership in the Hershey Mafia all factor in keeping him in Washington.
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