Free agency hasn’t officially opened, but as it goes every year, there’s a bunch of contracts sitting on desks just waiting until they’re allowed to be filed. Apparently the Wings and Andrew Copp have one such deal:
UFA period opens at 12 noon ET, we are on air at 11 am with @TSNHockey #FreeAgentFrenzy. As usual, deals already in place and players already reportedly tied to team(s). Such as Campbell (EDM), Kuemper (WSH), Copp (DET), Giroux (OTT). It will be a busy day.
— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 13, 2022
Back to hockey. Unless something shifts, all indications suggest Andrew Copp will sign with the Detroit Red Wings. Good player who will likely command $5 mil + on a 4-6 year term. We’ll soon find out.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 13, 2022
According to Evolving Hockey, the estimate on the deal would be 4 years at $5,678,000
We’ll know official details on the term (and that the deal is actually done) as soon as Detroit announces and on the salary sometime soon after when an insider gets hold of the info from Copp’s agent or central registry (since the Wings don’t share that kind of stuff).
So what do the Wings get in Andrew Copp?
He’s a 28-year old two-way center who will be slotted in both sides of special teams. Copp is listed at 6’1” and 206 pounds; a left-shooter originally from Ann Arbor, he was a fourth round pick by the Jets who traded him to New York for the Rangers’ playoff run. Career-wise his numbers are in line with a 2C kind of player.
- Does he win faceoffs? Yes, 51.8% of all he’s taken
- Is he good at shooting the puck? Career 11.2% (went on a heater with the Rangers where he shot a combined 19%)
- Does he drive possession? He’s been a possession net-positive for most of his career with a variety of linemates.
- Does he score a lot? That’s where we’re not sure. His last two seasons have paced out over 82 games at around 60 points (a pace that would compare to what Lucas Raymond did last year), but you’re banking that on a guy figuring out scoring later than when most forwards do./
In terms of where Copp would fit, he’d be Detroit’s 2C immediately and depending on term won’t be such a commitment that it’ll be anything but a quirk if he’s bumped out of that by a guy making significantly less than he is due to the way young player compensation works.
It’s not a very exciting addition, but Copp is a solid player and his addition is a bump in the right direction for an improving team. He’s not exactly a key piece, but he’s the type of player that good teams have.
