Entering his contract season, the goal and mindset for Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp hasn't changed.
It won't be long now before the Detroit Red Wings begin play in the 2026-27 NHL season, and for forward Andrew Copp, it's a contract year.
Copp, an Ann Arbor native and former Michigan Wolverines forward whom former Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman signed to a five-year contract in 2022, has centered Detroit's top line through the early stages of Training Camp in place of the injured Dylan Larkin.
During Training Camp last year, Copp said in no uncertain terms that the Red Wings "had" to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While Detroit put itself in a good position to do so, the team experienced yet another unraveling in March and ultimately missed the playoffs for the 10th consecutive year.
Has Copp's mindset regarding the expectations for 2026-27 changed? Not at all.
"We can't accept anything less," Copp said of making the playoffs.
"I don't think there's any other way to look at it - what more growth can we do without making the playoffs? We've done all that the last three or four years since I've been here," he continued. "So there's only really one way to go."
As far as his own contract status goes, he said that there are more pressing matters that have his attention at the moment.
"I have enough to concentrate on my game this year, that's kind of where my mind's at right now," he said.
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Head coach Todd McLellan, who said that the top center spot belongs to Copp for now in Larkin's absence, praised the former Wolverine's mindset.
"Copper is a very cerebral player, a very deep thinker about the game," McLellan said.
"(He'll) be a coach one day, if he wants to be," McLellan continued. "He's got that type of mindset. He probably didn't have a great year as far as goals go, offense, and five-on-five, but he produced with the other two (power-play and shorthanded) in other ways. A lot of helpers, a lot of net-front stuff."
Last season, Copp appeared in 79 games, scoring nine goals with 34 assists.
Since joining the Red Wings in 2022, Copp has tallied 41 goals with 100 assists in 296 games.
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