Detroit Red Wings forward Andrew Copp is entering the final year of the deal he signed to join his hometown team in the summer of 2022.
It may not seem like very long ago that the Detroit Red Wings signed former Michigan Wolverines forward Andrew Copp, a metro-Detroit native, to a five-year contract.
While many would say that Copp hasn't lived up to the expectations that came with signing a deal that pays him just under $6 million annually, he's been a defensively responsible forward who has been good in the face-off circle while also being a voice of leadership in the dressing room.
The 32-year-old Copp is set to enter the final year of the deal given to him by now-former GM Steve Yzerman in the summer of 2022.
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It was Copp who plainly stated prior to last season that the Red Wings "have to make the playoffs", a goal that ultimately fell short following yet another collapse in the month of March.
Following a particularly brutal 5-4 regulation loss to the Minnesota Wild in April, which was another nail in their coffin, Copp seemed to acknowledge the significant pressure they were facing to end their playoff drought.
"It feels a little heavy for sure,” Copp said. “So that’s, I mean, that’s - you guys have jobs to do; fans have, you know, like, that’s it is what it is."
“That’s on us to not let it creep in," Copp continued when speaking of the outside pressure. "In this day and age, that is pretty hard. "We gotta find a way not to let it weigh on us. You know, we’ve got a way to free ourselves up.”
Right now, the Red Wings are essentially stuck in neutral. They don't have a general manager following the major news that Steve Yzerman vacated his role nearly a month ago, and that was already on top of the explosive trade request of captain Dylan Larkin that went public in early June.
One of the things that Yzerman's successor will have to decide is whether or not to sign Copp to an extension. He's also not the only Michigan native entering the last year of his current deal, as Alex DeBrincat will also need a new contract soon.
So far in his tenure with the Red Wings, Copp has skated in 296 games, and has scored 41 goals to go with 100 assists.
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