Red Wings' Andrew Copp Could Be Dealt Says NHL Insider

Despite recent team reports, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos believes the Red Wings will consider dealing forward Andrew Copp

The Detroit Red Wings are entering an important season for the franchise as they are looking to finally insert themselves into the playoff picture for the first time in nine seasons.

This means they need to make improvements to get themselves over the hump that kept them six or so wins out of the postseason this last year. Detroit has been rumored to be talking to several big name free agents while also looking to add depth in key areas of need like goaltending. 

To clear cap space, Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos believes the Red Wings could deal forward Andrew Copp and retain some of his salary. The radio host has been noted to have made hot takes in the past. 

The reports seem to be counter productive as many Detroit players noted that Copp is a strong, positive influence in the locker room. He played just 56 games this season before sustaining a season-ending injury in late February in which he needed surgery to repair his left pectoral tendon. 

Copp and others on the team like captain Dylan Larkin noted during their end of season press conferences that they went through too many skids this past season as the Red Wings went 4-5-1 to open up the season in October, hit another snag in December when they went 5-7-2 and again fell off in March, when they went 4-10-0 before finishing the season on a hot streak. 

When wanting to limit something like this it's hard to imagine they would get rid of a player that is beloved by many on the team like Copp and it wouldn't disrupt the room and make things worse. Newcomer Patrick Kane even mentioned during his press conference how much he enjoyed playing with Copp as a teammate over his two years with the franchise.

Copp is a hometown kid from Ann Arbor who played at the University of Michigan, where he served as team captain in his third and final season.

He was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets and early on solidified himself as a solid depth forward that had would produce 30-40 points. Copp came to the Red Wings before the 2022-23 season as a free agent and has shown to be a solid middle- to bottom-six forward that also kills penalties and is solid on the face-off dot with a 50.7 per cent winning percentage that ranks second on the team.

The only problem is his contract is quite expensive for a depth forward as he makes $5.625 million per season with two more years left on his deal. This price point looks rough as of right now as he places him in the same conversation as the likes of Vincent Trocheck, Zach Hyman and Jonathan Marchessault. The trio of players all record 60-80 points or more while Copp lacks behind and this causes some to dislike his contract. 

However, fans can be hopeful for the future as the cap continues to climb with a player like Copp and his skill set becoming more valuable at his current number when the cap goes up and less of the team's money is allocated to him.

Additionally, the Florida Panthers just finished proving for the second straight year that every team needs role players to win and that's exactly what Copp can provide. He finds himself among the likes of Toronto's Scott Laughton and New York's Casey Cizikas, who are depth players that can make an impact but one not always felt on the scoresheet.