One of the longest-tenured members of the Washington Capitals is no more.
Center Boyd Gordon has left the Caps and signed a two-year contract with the Phoenix Coyotes worth $2.65 million.
Gordon has been a part of the Capitals organization since being drafted by them with the 17th overall pick in the 2002 NHL Draft. Known for his penalty killing and high faceoff acumen, Gordon scored three goals and added six assists in 60 games for the Caps last season. He led the team with a 58.0% faceoff percentage.
Gordon will likely be replaced by former captain Jeff Halpern, who signed a one-year deal with the Caps Friday afternoon. The 27-year-old forward battled a serious back injury throughout the last few years, only appearing in 36 games during the 2009-10 season. His best year with the Caps came in 2006-07, when he scored seven goals and added 22 assists in 71 games.
With Gordon gone, Alexander Semin is now the longest-tenured member of the Caps, having been drafted four spots ahead of Gordon in the 2002 NHL Draft.