When the Detroit Red Wings signed Andrew Copp to a five-year deal that averages $5.625 million ahead of the 2022-23 season, expectations were high. The Red Wings had been searching for a second-line center for years, and Copp was expected to fill the role.
The club envisioned a dynamic two-way forward who could anchor their top six, facilitate offense, and play responsibly at both ends of the ice, complementing Dylan Larkin, who continued to grow into a top-three forward.
After several seasons of steady but unspectacular production, Copp has finally emerged in the 2025-26 campaign with three goals and 20 points through 38 games as the centerpiece of Detroit’s revitalized second line. Although many fans, myself included, were very underwhelmed with Copp's production during his first year with Detroit ( 9G, 42P), it's been a steep regression until this season.
Copp followed that first year with point production totals of 33 and 23, nowhere near good enough for what general manager Steve Yzerman envisioned he'd be at the time of the signing. This season, though, Copp has seemed to right the ship a bit, centering Detroit's second line.
He's primarily playing between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane. More recently, with Kane injured, it's been the newly recalled John Leonard on Copp's wing, and he's continued his stellar production at the NHL level he was displaying with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Andrew Copp is surprisingly stabilizing the Red Wings' second line
Copp’s individual expected goals for percentage (ixGF) sits at 8.96 at all strengths, and he's only amassed three on the year, meaning he continues to struggle to finish. And his Corsi For Percentage (CF%) of 49.4 is his best since joining the Red Wings, demonstrating his ability to drive play and control possession with his linemates. Now, you'd like that number to be above 50, but it's far better than the mid-40s and lower than he's produced over the previous three seasons.
A key to Copp’s resurgence has been his chemistry with winger Alex DeBrincat, who has provided consistent goal scoring and opened up the ice for Copp’s playmaking. DeBrincat’s 20 goals and 40 points over 38 games have given Copp a reliable target, allowing him to rack up assists and dictate the pace of the game.
He’s been a staple on the penalty kill, averaging 1:24 of shorthanded time per game. His defensive zone start percentage sits at 57.5, indicating Todd McLellan trusts Copp in crucial defensive situations.
Again, it looks as though Copp will never have the overall impact on Detroit's lineup that they anticipated he'd be at the time of the signing, but he's becoming one of the more valuable forwards this season.
His steady play and touch over half-a-point per game production is a welcome sight, especially with the likes of J.T. Compher's regression and Marco Kasper's sophomore slump this season. Copp's steady play has helped stabilize the middle of Detroit's lineup.