Andrew Copp finding stride with Red Wings after taking time to adapt to new situation

DETROIT - Andrew Copp was always quick to adapt to whatever situation was presented to him.

The former Winnipeg Jets forward was always someone his coaching staff and teammates could rely on, so you can understand how he’s already been able to put a couple of things in the rearview mirror after signing an offseason deal with his hometown team.

That’s not to suggest that inking a $28.125 million contract ($5.625 million AAV) with the Detroit Red Wings was a foregone conclusion for Copp, who was traded to the New York Rangers prior to the NHL trade deadline in 2022 for a package that included forward Morgan Barron, a first-round pick that turned into Brad Lambert and a third-rounder that became Swedish defence prospect Elias Solomonsson.

"There were a lot of balls in the air as those couple of weeks happen,” said Copp, who chipped in two assists as the Red Wings earned a 7-5 win over the Jets on Tuesday. “There's interest from a lot of different areas, but I think I went in with a little bit of a top group and Detroit was definitely in that top group, so it ended up working out, for sure. But it wasn't exactly seamless, I would say. It was definitely an interesting process, one having gone through it now, will prepare me if there is a next time.

“It’s been good. There are things that you don’t necessarily anticipate or you think is going to be a little bit different. Once you’re in the season, you get a couple more dinners here and there, but it’s not like I’m driving home an hour to see my family every day. You get into the groove of the season. Hockey wise, it has been a bigger adjustment for me. Going back to centre full time, coming back off the injury, I haven’t really felt like myself until the last couple weeks. It’s good now, but it was a little bit of an adjustment over that period of time. Otherwise, life is good.”

Longtime teammate, roommate and friend Mark Scheifele was sad to see Copp go at the deadline, but just like he was happy about him landing with a contender last March, he was equally thrilled to see him cash in during his first shot at unrestricted free agency.

“He got rewarded for all the hard work he’s put in over the years,” said Scheifele, who was among a group of eight players who had dinner with Copp and Ben Chiarot on Monday night. “Going to arbitration, grinding it out over two-year deals. To get a longer term deal in his hometown, I felt like a proud dad when he signed that deal. I’m very happy for him. It’s one of those stories that you put in all the hard work,

“I saw firsthand how much he did away from the rink preparing for games and never really got his break. Now he finally did. It’s good to see one of your best friends do well.”

Copp is someone who always had to fight for everything he’s got and while he doesn’t have the same type of chip on his shoulder now that he has some long-term security with his contract, he’s not about to slip into cruise-control mode.

His mindset remains the same.

“Not really to my approach. You're just a little more settled,” said Copp. “I think the contract stuff was an easy chip to put on my shoulder, especially going through arbitration and all of that. I've moved on from that, I think. But you still got to play like you have something to prove every night, have some sort of mental, 'This is what I'm going for.' It's easy to say, 'Win the Stanley Cup.'

“But you’ve got to have the daily basis of proving yourself over and over again. You're never really arrived. For example, right now I'm not on the power play. Now I'm trying to prove that again. It's always evolving.”

When you combine the pressure of trying to live up to the big-ticket contract with the injury he sustained, Copp needed some time to find his stride.

"I think at the beginning, a little bit. Coming back off the injury. I don't know if it was doing too much, but kind of (trying to) live up to (the contract),” said Copp. “I've kind of settled into that's the past, just worry about being yourself. The player that I am got me to where I am now. Just want to continue to prove it and continue to be myself.”

Copp missed all of training camp after having core surgery and only recently started to find a higher comfort level, but he made an impact on Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde before he had even signed on the dotted line.

During a discussion with Copp in early July, Lalonde was blown away by the versatile forward’s intellectual nature, which extends well beyond his understanding of systems and impressive recall ability.

As Lalonde was preparing to woo Copp, the guy on the other side of the line had clearly done his homework and had some questions of his own prepared.

“Unbelievably cerebral. One of the most cerebral players I’ve dealt with,” said Lalonde. “I go no further than the July 1 recruiting call I made as a new coach. He was considering Detroit and he’s like ‘are you going to run the 1-1-3 like you did in Tampa?

“Because that beat us in the (Eastern) Conference finals. Are you going to run the pushdown, aggressive trap penalty kill like you did in Tampa because I love it and I want to be part of it. It just felt like I was talking to a coach.”

With three goals and 26 points in 39 games this season, Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp (18) greets teammates after his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, when he recorded 21 goals and 53 points before adding another six goals and 14 points in 20 games as the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference final.

Copp faced the Jets once last season after the trade, but that game was at Madison Square Garden.

The most recent meeting was at Little Caesars Arena, but the more emotional contest will come when he returns to Winnipeg in March.

"Going to be fun,” said Copp. “We played in New York last year against Winnipeg, so that one kind of took the edge off. It will still be weird. In Winnipeg will be weird though, just being in the building and coming out of the visitors entrance instead of the home entrance will be interesting.”

As for the team that chose him in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Draft, Copp has kept an eye on the dramatic turnaround and he’s not as surprised as some folks around the hockey world are.

“The core group is the exact same. Some of the names I didn’t necessarily recognize, especially with all those guys out for a bit,” said Copp. “I couldn’t give you a scouting report. I know how especially the top six play, I know how those D play, I know (Connor Hellebuyck) in net. When I watch, I’m watching for specific guys and the plays they’re making. I know Josh Morrissey is having a heck of a year. They still have the same offensive firepower, it seems like they’ve been able to play defensively a little tighter, and I know Helly has had a great year so far. I couldn’t give you systems or anything like that, but it feels like they’re in a groove. I know what it’s been like there to be in a groove. I’m sure they have the confidence up there right now.

“On paper, you look at it and you say you lost me and (Paul Stastny), they added some players - more depth players. (Cole) Perfetti has his place in the line-up. I’d say I’m not surprised because I know the talent in the room, but at the same time for them to put it together and how quickly they have from last year, I’d say that’s been a little surprising. It’s not surprising that they’ve done well, but maybe a little surprising how well they’ve done. It speaks to how talented the room is. When they put it all together, it clicks.”