Red Wings Free Agency Frenzy: Andrew Copp Comes Home

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The Detroit Red Wings were set to spend some money this free agency as they look to fill out their roster. But what they ended up doing yesterday was unlike anything I expected.

The Detroit Red Wings are going into this off-season having one of the best pipelines in all of the NHL. Between Sebastian Cossa, Simon Edvinsson, William Wallinder, Jonatan Berggren, Marco Kasper, and many other guys, it’s hard to not see what this organization could one day be.

This past season we got to see top prospects Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider get their chance and both rose to the occasion. Raymond this past season finished fourth in the calder trophy voting, and Seider winning the Calder, it’s clear the future is bright with those two. But, you still have to worry about adding veteran help to mentor and balance out the youth.

That’s why I felt that Steve Yzerman and the rest of the Red Wings organization would be active in free agency. Especially given some of the names that were out there.

I recently wrote about Johnny Gaudreau, Filip Forsberg, and Alex DeBrincat being targets for the Red Wings and as you all know, that turned out to be wrong on so many different levels. But, those weren’t the only names out there and the Red Wings recognized that.

Yesterday the Red Wings organization was busy, but Andrew Copp started it all. So, let’s take a look at the signing.

Andrew Copp. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Red Wings Free Agency Frenzy: Andrew Copp

The Detroit Red Wings were busy on the phones all day yesterday. With multiple great signings made, let’s take a look at some of the players that are now Red Wings.

Andrew Copp Background

We knew that the Red Wings could go after Copp, but it was all speculation till yesterday. Copp’s versatility, experience, and play style fits the Red Wings needs perfectly and was at a reasonable cost. But that wasn’t the best part about the signing.

Andrew Copp grew up in Ann Arbor, MI and therefore, grew up a Red Wings fan. But more so than that, he also attended the University of Michigan before entering the NHL entry draft. Now he gets to come home and play for his favorite team growing up- the childhood dream come true.

Andrew Copp has never really been a top point getter, but I feel that has a lot to do with his role. This past season, Copp was moved at the trade deadline and was given a fair opportunity and it showed.

With the Winnipeg Jets this past season, he played in 56 games. In those 56 games he had 13 goals, 22 assists for 35 points. But after being traded to the New York Rangers, he immediately started showing what he could do offensively.

In 16 games with the New York Rangers, Copp had eight goals, 10 assists for 18 points. That goes to show that when given the proper opportunity, he can succeed. He just wasn’t given enough time on the ice in Winnipeg to really show the league he can play. But, given the current state of the Red Wings, you also have to look at what he can do in the playoffs and lucky for us- he did pretty well.

In the playoffs, he played in 20 games. He played against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and Tampa Bay Lightning which were no gimmies and he had six goals along with eight assists for 14 points.

How Does Andrew Copp Fit?

Andrew Copp was going to be one of the more relatively cheap centers in this free agency class and I feel that was the main reason why the Red Wings targeted him. He offers the Red Wings a center two behind Dylan Larkin which is something that the Red Wings were lacking.

I’ve stated before that I feel in a year or two, and with the right opportunity, Joe Veleno can become a center two for the franchise. However, as of right now, Veleno is not ready to take on that role.

He doesn’t produce at the clipse that you’d need him too, and he really hasn’t shown the organization he can do everything you need him to do at this level. That’s where Copp came into play.

Copp will more than likely open the season as the Red Wings center two which definitely helps out a lot. If Copp can produce similarly to what he was able to do in New York, then I’d say we are in a very good spot with him in the lineup.

Andrew Copp Contract Details

Andrew Copp signed with the Detroit Red Wings yesterday on a 5 year contract worth roughly, $28,125,000.

Must Read. Red Wings Newest Member: Marco Kasper. light

He clearly has a lot to offer the Red Wings and he’s going to be a great addition to the Red Wings.

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