If you follow the Detroit Red Wings and have been on social media at all in the last couple of years, then you probably know that the general sentiment around forward Andrew Copp is mixed at best.
From the moment Copp signed his five-year contract with the Red Wings back in the summer of 2022, there were a range of reactions. Some folks appreciated the homecoming for the Ann Arbor native and saw the move as a legitimate step towards Detroit being competitive in the NHL again. Others saw the price tag ($5.625 million a year) and questioned if the longtime Winnipeg Jet would truly be the answer for the Red Wings as the team’s second line center.
Long story short, the results have been up, down and everywhere in between. Deserved or not, the down period has colored a lot of people’s opinions of Copp. With 275 games in the winged wheel under his belt, as well as the fact that he becomes eligible for a contract extension this summer, now is the time to take stock of how he has performed since joining the Red Wings and what his value to the team is.
Long story short, he’s peaking at the right time.
Copp’s Rough Start
Copp’s first two seasons saw him playing the role of a second line center, but without the supporting cast to have a shot at succeeding. His linemates in his first season include David Perron, Jakub Vrána, Filip Zadina, Dominik Kubalik and Jonatan Berggren. Of those players, only Perron and Berggren are still in the NHL and neither of them are still with the Red Wings.
The following season, Copp fell into a checking role in the bottom six. He primarily played with low-offense players like Michael Rasmussen, Christian Fischer and Klim Kostin. Copp was able to show off the strength of his defensive game in this role, but points were very hard to come by.
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From the start of the 2022-23 season to the end of the 2023-24 campaign, Copp had the second-worst Corsi-For percentage (CF%) among all Red Wings skaters to play 100 games or more, ahead of only Ben Chiarot.
To top it off, the Red Wings’ head coach at the time, Derek Lalonde, never quite showed the ability to get the best out of his players during his 198-game tenure in Detroit, and that had a direct negative effect on Copp. It’s not a coincidence that his game started to turn around once the Red Wings made a coaching change.
The Todd McLellan Effect
On Dec. 27, 2024, the Red Wings fired Lalonde and hired Todd McLellan as their new head coach. Since then, Detroit has won 59 out of 106 games and find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference standings this season. The Red Wings as a whole have enjoyed improved results under McLellan, and Copp is no different.
Copp’s CF% has increased by four percent (from 44 to 48) when comparing the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons to the two seasons prior. While this still means that the Red Wings are being out-chanced at five-on-five when Copp is on the ice, that four percent difference is noticeable whenever you watch the Red Wings play.
It feels like the puck is heading in the right direction a lot more than in seasons past, and the fact he is just nine points away from tying his personal best with the Red Wings (42, set in his first season with Detroit) feels like tangible proof of it. Playing between Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane definitely helps, but Copp has been a big part of why their line has worked to this point in the season.
Overall, it feels like Copp meshes with McLellan’s style a lot more than he did with Lalonde’s. Sometimes it all comes down to being with the right people in the right place at the right time.
Unsung Hero?
With Copp on their line, DeBrincat, Kane and the Red Wings are outscoring their opponents 19-8 at five-on-five. Without Copp on that line, DeBrincat and Kane have been outscored 11-4. Copp isn’t the offensive engine on that line, but he pulls the line together and allows his more high-octane linemates to do their thing.
Every offensive line needs a guy like that. Every team needs a guy like that. You can certainly argue that Copp is overcompensated or has been overcompensated for his contributions to the Red Wings at this point, but his impact on the team is undeniable. In 26 games without Copp last season, the Red Wings had a points-percentage (P%) of .462; in 56 games with him in the lineup, they had a P% of .554.
Since joining the Red Wings, Copp has the sixth-most points among all Detroit skaters. That’s not the most impressive thing in the world, but when you compare his production and contract to the players that have outproduced him as well as the ones that haven’t, he’s right where he should be.
Factor in the rising salary cap and not only does Copp’s contract look fine today, but it should be more than palatable next season. That should lead to potentially favorable extension talks, assuming Detroit wants to pursue that option – and they may not!
Regardless, Copp’s play since McLellan took over as head coach has largely shifted the narrative of his standing with the team. The numbers suggest he has a positive impact on his team’s play, and the fact he was an alternate captain for Detroit prior to this season shows that he has his teammates’ respect.
He’s no all-star, but every team can use a player like Copp. If he can continue his positive trajectory, the Red Wings may benefit from keeping him around beyond his current contract – just like they did recently with Ben Chiarot.
Long story short, Copp has been a bit of an unsung hero this season.
