Andrew Copp Agrees to 5-Year, $28.2M Red Wings Contract After Rangers Stint

Andrew Copp and the Detroit Red Wings agreed to a five-year deal, which will average $5.625 million annually, on Wednesday.

TSN's Darren Dreger initially reported the news.

Copp said on TSN he's looking at the bigger picture with the Red Wings, who have missed the playoffs for the last six years, and he "like[s] where this team is headed."

Broadly speaking, helping an Original Six franchise return to relevancy probably carries a lot of appeal. As a native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, signing with the Red Wings likely had an added layer of attraction for Kopp.

He has seen firsthand how a team can make quick progress after prolonged mediocrity.

The 28-year-old was a member of the Winnipeg Jets when they saw their fortunes turn around. Winnipeg snapped a seven-year playoff drought in 2014-15 and reached the conference finals in 2017-18.

The addition of Copp will fortify Detroit's depth up front. He's coming off a career year after totaling 21 goals and 32 assists in 72 games. He also notched 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 20 playoff games.

This move represents a bet on Copp for the Red Wings and Copp betting on himself to some degree. In the Motor City, he'll have the opportunity to show his improvement in 2021-22 was no fluke.

The Red Wings aren't wasting time addressing other needs in free agency. Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported they're "closing in" on a deal with Ben Chiarot.