The Detroit Red Wings have received some awful news regarding center Andrew Copp, who underwent pectoral surgery and will miss the rest of the season. Given Copp’s overall value, this is awful news for a Red Wings team that has been given some new life under head coach Todd McLellan since he took over.
Copp finished this season with 10 goals and 23 points in 56 games, which is nothing to write home about on the surface. But, he’s also been one of the Red Wings most valuable assets, with a plus-4 rating that is second on the team and first among forwards.
Copp also logged a solid 14:42 of average ice time, and he won 318 faceoffs at the time of his injury. Now that Copp’s done for the season, where do the Red Wings go from here?
Red Wings must find a way to replace Andrew Copp as race intensifies
This time of the year is the NHL’s version of the Daytona 500. It’s a race that everyone wants to win, even if it won’t win you a championship. That said, it will put you one step closer to championship contention, and losing a valuable player like Copp is the last thing the Wings needed.
Replacing him might come in the form of trading for a center like Dylan Cozens, something that’s becoming more realistic now, thanks to the Ville Husso trade. Cozens would bring an edge, no doubt, but his struggles offensively might deter Steve Yzerman from acquiring him from the Buffalo Sabres, especially if Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams wants a lot of compensation in return.
The Wings may look for a center who is more defense-oriented, and it’s something Copp has proven reliable in all season. His on-ice save percentage of 91.5 at even strength was tied for fifth among Red Wings players who saw ice time in at least 41 games, and his 57.1 shot-through rate was tied for second.
Steve Yzerman must work the phones to replace Andrew Copp
Right now, it looks like Sheldon Dries is the next man up, which comes after the Wings reactivated Tyler Motte. But it’s tough to put faith in a player who has 122 games of NHL experience, with 16 career goals and just 312 wins at the faceoff dot. Dries has played in Colorado and Vancouver, but has never seen time in over 63 games in a single season, which came last year during his final campaign in British Columbia.
That said, Yzerman could be looking to upgrade center at the trade deadline if he doesn’t have a certain blockbuster deal in mind. Regardless of what it takes, if Yzerman wants to see his Red Wings in the playoffs as much as the fan base does, this is a situation he must address quickly.
We’ll be waiting to see if Yzerman has anything in store. But if he doesn’t, he won’t do himself any favors regarding his job, especially with the Red Wings winning hockey games.