The NHL free agency period begins in under three hours (12:00 p.m. ET) and it sounds like the Detroit Red Wings have their sights set on a center.
According to a report from NHL insider Darren Dreger, “Unless something shifts, all indications suggest C Andre Copp will sign with the Detroit Red Wings.
Dreger suggests Copp will likely command a 4-6 year deal with an AAV of $5 million.
Back to hockey. Unless something shifts, all indications suggest Andrew Copp will sign with the Detroit Red Wings. Good player who will likely command $5 mil + on a 4-6 year term. We’ll soon find out.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) July 13, 2022
Red Wings expected to sign C Andrew Copp to long-term deal
Andrew Copp, who is 28 and from Ann Arbor, Michigan, scored 21 goals while dishing out 32 assists in 72 total games with the Winnigeg Jets and New York Rangers. He was recently mentioned by our own Bob Heyrman as one of five free agents the Red Wings should prioritize in free agency.
Here is what the Sporting News had to say about Copp leading up to free agency:
From Sporting News:
Outside of maybe Giroux, no other deadline acquisition made as much of an impact as Copp did with the Rangers. He was a consistent 25-35 point scorer with the Jets but exploded for 18 in 16 games with New York. His value is at an all-time high heading into the offseason as he hits the market Wednesday. Copp and the Rangers could not come to a deal despite the mutual interest.
According to Max Bultman of The Athletic, Copp was No. 3 on his Top 10 Detroit Red Wings free agent target list.
Here is some of what Bultman had to say about Copp being a fit for the Red Wings:
Still, Copp is a big-bodied center who just put up 20 goals, proved he can score in the playoffs, and has historically strong defensive impacts. That checks a ton of boxes for Detroit, and the local tie is a good reason to believe he’d entertain a return home.
Copp would be well within his rights to fully capitalize on his career year and secure his financial future this summer. But if he’s willing to sign on a medium-term deal to return home, he’s an obvious fit. Evolving Hockey projects a four-year deal at about $5.8 million, which feels manageable for the Red Wings.
Nation, if Andrew Copp to the Detroit Red Wings becomes official, is tht something you will be satisfied with?
