Andrew Copp missed Sunday’s outing vs. the Anaheim Ducks, a game that also saw Trevor Zegras get away with a cheap shot to Michael Rasmussen’s head. If you need a refresher, know that Rasmussen never returned to the game, and it’s an injury that has made one thing official: The Red Wings middle six needs an insurance policy.
Even if Copp and Rasmussen don’t miss significant time, the two injuries alone should signal to general manager Steve Yzerman that he must start shopping for a middle-six forward as the trade deadline nears. The most recent news regarding Copp hasn’t been good, and he’s been one of their better points producers to date.
So far this season, Copp is sixth on the team with 23 points and 10 goals, and he’s also fared well in the faceoff circle with a 50.7 win percentage and 318 overall faceoffs won. Losing Copp alone hurts the Wings, but Rasmussen has been one of the few sledgehammers.
Losing Michael Rasmussen long-term would be unfortunate for the Red Wings
In my previous article, I stressed that the Wings need to find ways to start outmuscling opponents, and it’s been a problem all season. Should they lose Rasmussen, it means they’re losing their third most physical player behind Moritz Seider and Marco Kasper and their second most physical forward.
Physicality is something Yzerman needs to look for at the trade deadline, but Rasmussen has also been a fair scorer this season. He scored his ninth goal of the season in that win over the Anaheim Ducks, and it’s since given him a solid 11.8 shooting percentage.
It’s also fair to say that, had Zegras not landed that hit on Rasmussen, the Wings would’ve further lost the game from a physical standpoint. When a hit like that is laid, especially with a lack of accountability from the officials, teams will naturally look to fight back, and the Wings did that.
Red Wings physical game is in further jeopardy if Rasmussen misses time
At the time of this writing, there were no real specifics regarding Rasmussen’s status, but if he misses an extended period of time and Steve Yzerman doesn’t address the team’s sheer lack of physical play, earning a trip to the playoffs just got a whole lot harder.
As it stands, Yzerman has fewer than two weeks to make a move before the March 7th deadline comes and goes. He’s been linked to several players, including, ironically, Trevor Zegras. But even if he were to acquire Zegras, the forward still isn’t known for bringing a physical brand of play despite the hit on Rasmussen.
So, this one should be a wake-up call for Yzerman and Company, and a sense of urgency must pick up with the Red Wings now in fourth place in the Atlantic as of Monday afternoon. We’ll see if Yzerman answers that call sooner rather than later, and if he does, fans can at least be confident that he’s doing all he can to ensure a playoff appearance happens this season.