Report Card: Andrew Gordon

Gordo celbrates his first (and only) goal this year.

As the Caps' offseason has now officially begun with breakup day earlier this week, the time has come to look back on the season as a whole, what it brought, and the players who made it all happen, as well as the futures of those players.  As such, I will be writing a report card for every player who played in eight or more (10%) of the Capitals' games this year.  First up is right winger Andrew Gordon.

Stats/Season Summary: Gordon had a predictably quiet year, as he only played in nine games for the Caps this season, skating almost all of his minutes in a fourth or very limited third line checking role.  In those nine contests Gordon had two points, a goal and an assist, which both came December 21 against the Devils. He did not accrue any penalty minutes, but he did finish with a -2 rating. All nine games cam within five week span between December 12th and January 16th. Grade: C-
Role Play: Although Gordo did not come close to making the splash that some have predicted for him for awhile now, he was able to fill his role when he was up with the Caps.  He never looked overly out of place when he was in the NHL, and got to enjoy a cool moment when his first career NHL goal was highlighted by the 24/7 series.  He certainly struggled with injuries at both the NHL and AHL levels, which set him back a bit, but overall he worked hard and he kept to himself.  You can't ask much more than that from a young player like him. Grade: B
Playoffs: Gordon was expected to be one of the players in line to be recalled from Hershey after the Bears were eliminated from the Calder Cup playoffs, but he was sidelined with a high ankle sprain. Even if he had been recalled, he likely would not have played. Grade: N/A
Future Potential: Gordon has a legitimate shot to make the club as a checking line winger next season if the organization re-signs him; he is an unrestricted free agent.  It is likely that Matt Bradley will leave this offseason, as well as Jason Arnott, and it is possible that the team could lose Boyd Gordon and Brooks Laich as well up front.  That opens up a spot for a hard-working, younger winger, and he fits that bill.  There are certainly other options, but with the salary cap closing it's jaws, those fourth line spots will likely need to be filled from inside the organization, even though Gordo is a free agent.  But first, he needs to get healthy. Grade: B-

Look for the second report card of the year on May 8.  That one will feature left winger DJ King.