Boyd Gordon excited to return to Arizona Coyotes

The version of the Coyotes that Boyd Gordon left behind when he signed with the Oilers two summers ago as a free agent isn't the same one he's returning to, but the rugged and reliable centerman expects to pick up where he left off with the team.

"Phoenix has some good, young players coming up," Gordon said Tuesday after he was dealt from the Oilers to the Coyotes in exchange for winger Lauri Korpikoski. "There's obviously a rebuild going on. It's a lot different team in a different situation than when I came in there a couple years ago. I think my role is going to probably be the same -- a stable, veteran player. Hopefully I can bring that."

Gordon originally signed as an unrestricted free agent with the Coyotes in 2011 and was with the team for two seasons, tallying 12 goals and 37 points in 123 games while being a strong faceoff artist, fearless shot blocker and proficient penalty killer. The latter falls into the must-improve category for the Coyotes after ranking 29th last season (76.7 percent) and 26th (79 percent) in 2013-14.

"I don't think much has changed in his game at all," General Manager Don Maloney said. "He's still that hard-working, competitive guy. Thinking back to a couple of years ago, a lot of times that line drove our team in regards to tempo that he brings."

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Once his contract expired, Gordon tested free agency and was lured by a three-year, $9 million contract by the Oilers in the summer of 2013. The Coyotes wanted to keep him but couldn't match that kind of deal. Gordon wouldn't change the trajectory of his career, but he's happy to be back and is optimistic he'll fit in with the group immediately.

"I know what (coach Dave Tippett) expects from me, and I think playing two seasons there -- I think maybe the transition's easier than going to a different team and different coaching and all that kind of stuff," he said. "Hopefully the transition is maybe a little bit smoother than going somewhere else."

With the Oilers, the 31-year-old had six goals and 13 points in 68 games last season while ranking 11th in the NHL in faceoff win percentage (55.9) as one of the team's most experienced centers. The season before, he had eight goals and 21 points in 74 games. It's possible his time as a veteran example on the Oilers will translate well to the Coyotes, who are on the brink of assembling a younger team.

When asked if he was surprised by the trade, Gordon said, "I didn't know. I thought there was a possibility. I think in Edmonton they went from not having a lot of centers to having a lot of centers. Obviously, winning the (draft) lottery was big for them. I think there's different factors that kind of play into it, but, I mean, you never really know.

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"I was kind of sitting around today. I wasn't sure if something would happen today or July 1 but I think when you play pro hockey, you kind of expect the unexpected. And for me, I'm going to a place I'm comfortable playing and hopefully it will be a positive change for me."

Korpikoski leaves the Coyotes after spending six seasons with the organization. He struggled last season to produce 5-on-5 with only one of his six goals coming at even-strength. Overall, Korpikoski totaled 21 points in 69 games as he missed some time due to injury.

Maloney believes a change of scenery could benefit the 28-year-old winger. In his end-of-the-season media session, Tippett acknowledged Korpikoski's performance.

"My talk with Korpi this morning was pretty direct," Tippett said at the time. "He had a poor, poor season. He had one even-strength goal this year. For a guy that plays as much, we expect a lot more out of him. He needs to have a good offseason. He needs to come back and reestablish himself as a good NHL player."

The trade marked the second for the Coyotes so far this summer.

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On Saturday, they added defenseman Nicklas Grossmann and the contract of injured defenseman Chris Pronger from the Flyers in exchange for forward Sam Gagner and a conditional draft pick.

Both of these deals have added less than $600,000 to the team's payroll.

Gordon has only one year left on his contract at a salary of $3 million, and the Coyotes are also paying Grossmann $3 million for the final year of his contract with the Flyers retaining $500,000. They also took on the $575,000 owed to Pronger.

On the flip side, Korpikoski's $2.7 million salary comes off the books. So does the approximately $3.33 million the team owed Gagner. His actual salary is $5 million, but the Lightning (whom the Coyotes acquired Gagner from via trade last summer) retained a third of that number.

The Coyotes have approximately $35.8 million tied up in salary for next season, according to generalfanager.com. Their spending budget will exceed the roughly $56 million they spent last season.

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