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Andrew Copp

New York Rangers To Acquire Andrew Copp

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As originally reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the New York Rangers are set to acquire forward Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. Per Dreger, the trade is as follows:

NYR receives: Copp, 2023 sixth-round pick
WPG receives: F Morgan Barron, two conditional 2022 second-round picks, 2023 fifth-round pick

One second-round pick, the Rangers’ 2022 pick, can be upgraded into a first-round pick if the Rangers make the 2022 Eastern Conference Final and Copp plays in 50% of the team’s playoff games. Winnipeg can opt for the other second-round pick to be the Blues’ 2022 second-round pick or the Rangers’ 2023 second-round pick.

Winnipeg ended up being both buyers and sellers at the Trade Deadline this year, making this deal after acquiring Mason Appleton back from the Seattle Kraken. It’s inarguable, though, that the departure is a more significant sign as to the current direction of this team.

While Winnipeg is 6-3-1 in their last ten games, they’ve had an inconsistent year and still sit four points back of a playoff spot. Keeping Copp was a gamble, as the 27-year-old is an unrestricted free agent this offseason with no guarantee that the Jets would be able to afford his new deal. Whether the Rangers invest money into Copp past this season remains to be seen, however.

But for the Rangers, Copp is well worth the rental, especially without having to give up a guaranteed first-round pick or one of the organization’s true top prospects. Copp is an extremely versatile forward who can really slot in anywhere in their middle-six forwards, helping create a depth matchup against other teams that’s been missing all season in New York. He’s now strung together back-to-back 30+ point seasons and is likely to hit the 40-point mark this year. Copp is also an extremely effective penalty killer who can help the team in that regard.

Deadline Notes: Fleury, Domi, Copp, Maple Leafs

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An interesting story circulated today with a new team being added to the watch-list for goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury: the Minnesota Wild. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman mentioned earlier that the Wild and the Chicago Blackhawks have had conversations about the veteran goaltender and that it was something to keep an eye on. Even if the two sides could agree on a deal, Fleury has a modified no-trade clause and the Blackhawks do not plan to trade him to a team without his approval, and thus, Fleury would have to want to be traded to the Wild.

Fleury has expressed his desire to try to help a team win a Stanley Cup, which the Wild appear poised to try to do. In last year’s Vezina Trophy winner, the Wild could find a pronounced upgrade over the struggling Cam Talbot. An All Star this season, Talbot has struggled greatly since his All Star appearance, posting an .886 save percentage over 10 games. Another factor in the Fleury talks worth considering is that Minnesota’s GM, Bill Guerin, won a Stanley Cup with Fleury and the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2009, so there is an element of familiarity for Fleury in Minnesota.

  • On the 32 Thoughts segment of Hockey Night in Canada this evening, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek discussed trade talk heating up around Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Max Domi. Marek mentions the Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, and Colorado Avalanche as potential suitors for the forward. However, for Washington, in order to facilitate this trade, they would likely need a third team to participate, as the Capitals only have $155K in deadline day cap space. A deal of this nature could prove more expensive for Washington, however they will have to face that reality in almost any scenario. This season, Domi has nine goals and 23 assists in 52 games for Columbus.
  • Also on Hockey Night in Canada, Friedman noted that talks around Winnipeg Jets’ forward Andrew Copp were intensifying, with the Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and New York Rangers most in the mix. Many have speculated that whoever was most interested in Claude Giroux, that did not acquire him, would likely turn to the Jets to try to bring in Copp. Both the Avalanche and the Rangers had made a push for Giroux, but Giroux appeared to only be willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Florida Panthers. In Copp, teams can expect a strong, gritty 200 foot player with a scoring touch. The forward currently holds a $3.64MM cap hit and is set to become a UFA this summer. Also of note out of Winnipeg, if a team is unable to acquire Copp, the Jets could also look to move veteran Paul Stastny, who has 31 points in 51 games this season to go with a $3.75MM cap hit that expires this summer.
  • Friedman also discussed the Toronto Maple Leafs’ trade deadline plans at length on Hockey Night in Canada. He reiterated Toronto’s strong desire not to move a first-round pick or any top prospects for strictly a rental player. While Mark Giordano has been linked to Toronto and prefers to be traded there, Seattle’s price on Giordano may make him too expensive for the Maple Leafs to bite. Marek suggests, in the alternative, GM Kyle Dubas could look to Justin Braun of the Philadelphia Flyers. Braun certainly isn’t the player Giordano is, however he fills a need for Toronto, that of a veteran shut-down defenseman, and comes at a much more reasonable $1.8MM cap hit that expires this summer, and could presumably be acquired without the Maple Leafs having to part with a top prospect or any of their future first-round picks. Despite Toronto’s search for defensemen, Friedman does still believe that the Maple Leafs will move defenseman Travis Dermott by Monday’s trade deadline. Dermott carries just a $1.5MM cap hit, is signed through next season, and will be a RFA thereafter.

Trade Candidate: Andrew Copp

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The trade deadline is now just over a week away as we continue our look at some of the players who have a good chance of being on the move between now and March 21st.

Andrew Copp has fairly quietly but steadily improved over the past several seasons and has worked his way up from being an energy player on the fourth line to a reliable checker to a quality two-way center that plays big minutes in all facets of the game.  As a result, if Winnipeg decides that they’re going to sell, Copp will be one of the most sought-after players around the league in the days to come.

Contract

Copp is on a one-year, $3.64MM contract that was agreed on prior to his arbitration hearing in August and thus contains no form of trade protection.  The deal is all salary and he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.

2021-22

Copp has been somewhat of a Swiss army knife for Winnipeg this season.  Injuries to Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers opened up spots on the wing that Copp filled at times.  He has spent most of the year playing down the middle but even with a fully healthy lineup (including Mark Scheifele and Pierre-Luc Dubois at center), Copp has logged heavy minutes and is third among all Winnipeg forwards in ice time behind only Kyle Connor and Scheifele.

Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old has seen plenty of action on special teams.  He leads all Jets forwards in shorthanded ice time per game and plays almost the same amount of time on the power play, making him their only player to average at least 2:30 per contest in both situations.

The end result is that Copp is on pace to set career highs across the board (he’s already there in shots on goals).  On top of that, he’s winning over 53% of his draws and we know how much teams value situational faceoff performance in the playoffs.

However, it’s worth noting that his production has tapered off a little bit as of late with five points in his last 16 games while half of his full-season point total came in the first 15 games of the year.  That shouldn’t hurt his market too much but interested teams will be factoring that into their offers.

Season Stats

53 GP, 13 goals, 19 assists, 32 points, even rating, 8 PIMS, 147 shots, 20:05 TOI, 52.9 CF%, 53.8% faceoffs

Potential Suitors

Basically, any contending team with some cap space will have interest in Copp if he’s made available.  Winnipeg could retain to facilitate a deal although they’re close to being capped out so there may be a limitation to how much they can hold back or who they can take on to offset part of the contract.

In the East, the Bruins never really filled the hole created by David Krejci’s departure and have been looking to fill a top-six hole all season.  Copp fits the bill on both ends and they have the cap space to afford him outright.  So do the Rangers who could either slot him in on the wing in the top six or have him anchor a new-look third line that can take some pressure off the top lines.  The Maple Leafs have been linked to some wingers and Copp would be a good complementary piece on the wing on their second line although making the money work would be a challenge with Jake Muzzin set to return later this season.  The Capitals have been looking around at checking wingers and while Copp is rated a little higher, he’s someone they’d have interest in although again, the cap looms large on that front.  The Panthers may covet Copp’s faceoff prowess to help offset Sam Bennett’s struggles on the draw if they aren’t able to add a significant piece on the back end.

Out West, the Wild stand out as a strong fit.  They’re stuck shopping for expiring contracts with the buyout charges increasing next season for Zach Parise and Ryan Suter and could certainly use some improvements down the middle.  The Avalanche have good depth at center already but could use Copp on the wing or in a shutdown capacity.  It’d also be an opportunity to evaluate if he could be a serviceable replacement for Nazem Kadri if Kadri prices himself out of what Colorado can afford over the offseason.  The Flames would have some cap challenges to overcome and would need to use him on the wing but he certainly fits Calgary’s playing style.  If the Predators opt to try to make a bigger addition, Copp is someone that would fit in a role that’s similar to one he plays with Winnipeg, splitting time at center and the wing.

Likelihood Of A Trade

A lot will depend on how Winnipeg fares in this next week.  If they can close the gap on a Wild Card spot, they may hold onto Copp in the hopes of sneaking into the postseason.  However, if that doesn’t happen and a contract extension isn’t in the cards, there’s a very good chance that Copp will be on a different roster once the clock passes 2 PM CT on March 21st.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Andrew Copp

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One name that probably isn’t talked about enough when it comes to trade deadline candidates is Winnipeg Jets forward Andrew Copp who, like many other players that are discussed around this time of year, is a pending unrestricted free agent. The expectation was that the Jets would be contending for the Stanley Cup and likely taking a run at extending the 27-year-old forward, but with the team now sixth in the Central Division and looking up at three teams between them and a wild card position, they’ll have to consider selling at this month’s deadline.

Copp, meanwhile, is having another strong season with 13 goals and 32 points in 51 games. He’s been used all over the lineup, including at center again for a substantial stretch of the year. That versatility–which doesn’t end at his positional alignment; Copp can also contribute both on the powerplay and penalty kill–would make him a good fit for nearly any contender looking to bolster their top-nine. The fact that his cap hit is just $3.64MM makes him an even more attractive trade target, given how little of that will actually be left by the deadline.

In today’s 32 Thoughts column by Elliotte Friedman for Sportsnet, he touches on Copp’s future. Friedman writes that the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche are “believed to be among” the interested teams, though those two have been linked to almost every forward available over the last few weeks.

If the team does end up trading Copp, it will be very interesting to see if what kind of return they target. The team has several players locked up long-term, with Pierre-Luc Dubois the only real key restricted free agent on the books. Adding a package of draft picks for Copp likely doesn’t help them next season if they still believe themselves to be a contending team, unless of course they turn and flip those assets at some point down the road.

Through eight years in the NHL, Copp has only ever played for the Jets. This year he is averaging way more ice time than he ever has before, actually still sitting above 20 minutes for the year. That’s not the role he’ll be playing on any new team, though, and with that in mind, the 51-point full-season pace he’s on may not be realistic. He hasn’t even come close to that total in the past, though some of that is due to shortened seasons and injuries. What a team would be trading for is a quality two-way player that can support those around him, not necessarily one that can carry the offensive load himself. That was never more noticeable than last year’s playoffs, where Copp was held without a goal in eight games, despite seeing almost 22 minutes a night. In fact, through 34 career postseason matches, Copp has scored just three times.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Andrew Copp, Kristian Vesalainen Enter COVID Protocol

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The Winnipeg Jets are supposed to resume their season on December 27 against the Minnesota Wild, but if they do, it will likely be without the services of a pair of forwards. Andrew Copp and Kristian Vesalainen have been placed in the COVID protocol. A support staff member has also been added.

The Jets were one of the few teams in the league that had no one else in the protocol, though they had dealt with absences from Mark Scheifele and Blake Wheeler early on. Hopefully, it will stop with these two and the team can get back to full strength before long.

Losing Copp especially will be painful given his huge role on the team. The 27-year-old forward is averaging more than 20 minutes a night for the Jets, including lining up at the center ice position. With 20 points in 30 games he’s on pace to set a career-high in several categories and his possession statistics are the best they’ve ever been.

In fact, Copp appears poised to land quite the free agent contract should the Jets allow him to hit the open market after the season. A middle-six forward that can basically play any role or position you ask of him, he’ll be highly sought after by contenders across the league. His one-year, $3.64MM contract could certainly be dwarfed if his current play continues the whole season. A stint on the COVID list certainly won’t help that case, but at least there is a chance he misses only a handful of games given the current break.

2021 Arbitration Tracker

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Originally published on August 5

The dates for the upcoming arbitration hearings have been set, with the first three scheduled for August 11. Hearings will continue through August 26 in this condensed offseason. It is important to note that the CBA agreement last year changed the rules for arbitration, so that once a hearing begins, teams are no longer allowed to negotiate with the player in question.

The full schedule is:

August 11
Adam Pelech (New York Islanders) – Settled, 8 years, $5.75MM AAV
Michael McNiven (Montreal Canadiens) – Settled, 1 year, $750K/$100K AAV (two-way)
Jakub Vrana (Detroit Red Wings) – Player filing: $5.7MM – Team filing: $3.65MM – Settled, 3 years, $5.25MM AAV

August 12
Victor Mete (Ottawa Senators) – Settled, 1 year, $1.2MM AAV

August 13
Neal Pionk (Winnipeg Jets) – Settled, 4 years, $5.875MM AAV

August 14
Vince Dunn (Seattle Kraken) – Settled, 2 years, $4.0MM AAV
Zach Sanford (St. Louis Blues) – Settled, 1 year, $2.0MM AAV

August 16
Adin Hill (San Jose Sharks) – Settled, 2 years, $2.175MM AAV
Ross Colton (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Settled, 2 years, $1.125MM AAV

August 17
Kevin Fiala (Minnesota Wild) – Player filing: $6.25MM – Team filing: $4.0MM – Settled, 1 year, $5.1MM AAV

August 18
Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) – Settled, 4 years, $5.0MM AAV

August 20
Dante Fabbro (Nashville Predators) – Settled, 2 years, $2.4MM AAV
Jason Dickinson (Vancouver Canucks) – Settled, 3 years, $2.65MM AAV

August 21
Adam Erne (Detroit Red Wings) – Settled, 2 years, $2.1MM AAV
Dennis Gilbert (Colorado Avalanche) – Settled, 1 year, $750K/$160K AAV (two-way)

August 23
Zach Aston-Reese (Pittsburgh Penguins) – Settled, 1 year, $1.725MM AAV

August 26
Andrew Copp (Winnipeg Jets) – Settled, 1 year, $3.64MM AAV
Nikita Zadorov (Calgary Flames) – Settled, 1 year, $3.75MM AAV
Travis Sanheim (Philadelphia Flyers) – Settled, 2 years, $4.675MM AAV

Snapshots: NHLPA, Copp, Jagr

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The NHLPA has strongly encouraged its players to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and warned of the potential for loss of pay for those who don’t do so, reports Michael Russo and Katie Strang of The Athletic (subscription link).  The main scenario where this could happen is flying into Canada where border travel is facing heightened restrictions; commercial travelers will require proof of vaccination by the end of October and while NHL teams fly charter, they could be subjected to that same policy and not allowed into the country.  In that situation, teams could have the ability to withhold salaries for the players not allowed in.  Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly noted that over 85% of NHL players have been fully vaccinated already so this wouldn’t necessarily affect many players but it’s a scenario the NHLPA wants to prepare its membership for.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Jets forward Andrew Copp acknowledged to reporters, including Postmedia’s Paul Friesen, that his preference was to sign a long-term deal. However, Winnipeg’s cap situation after some of their additions on the back end basically forced their hand and the two sides settled on a one-year, $3.64MM pact that will walk the 27-year-old to unrestricted free agency next summer.  With roughly $63.5MM tied up in a dozen players for 2022-23 per CapFriendly (excluding Bryan Little’s LTIR-bound contract), a strong showing next season could result in Copp playing his way out of Winnipeg entirely.
  • Veteran winger Jaromir Jagr will turn 50 late in the 2021-22 season and the future Hall of Famer will spend it playing with his hometown team in Kladno in the Czech Extraliga. The overwhelming majority of players hang up their skates by that age but in an interview with Pavel Barta of The Hockey News, the veteran indicated that he’s continuing to play out of obligation more than anything else.  Jagr happens to be the owner of the team and is worried about a loss of sponsorship that could put the team in jeopardy if he decided to call it a career.  While he isn’t the top scorer he once was, Jagr had a dozen points in 19 games last season to help lead Kladno back to the top level.

Winnipeg Jets, Andrew Copp Avoid Arbitration

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The Winnipeg Jets have avoided arbitration with another restricted free agent, signing Andrew Copp to a one-year, $3.64MM contract according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Copp had a hearing scheduled for August 26, which will no longer be necessary.

Copp, 27, will be an unrestricted free agent when the deal expires, but there wasn’t much flexibility for the Jets to sign him to a longer deal. The team is pushed right up against the salary cap even with Bryan Little’s $5.3MM deal moving to long-term injured reserve, meaning a multi-year deal with Copp (which would have carried a higher cap hit) would have required a subsequent move.

Instead, the team will move forward with the group they have now and revisit extension talks down the line. Copp will be eligible to sign a new contract with the team when the calendar turns to 2022. If he continues the play he showed this year, that next deal will certainly be coming with a substantial raise on $3.64MM.

Copp broke out offensively this season, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in just 55 games while playing a much bigger role for the Jets. Not only did he receive more regular powerplay time, but he also averaged 2:29 of short-handed ice time to lead all Winnipeg forwards. Overall he came in behind only Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, and Blake Wheeler in terms of average ice time, ahead of several more highly-paid teammates. It’s hard to overstate just how important he was to the Jets forward group, serving as a sort of fix-it player for any situation.

While he may not get much fanfare for his performance, other teams surely will have noticed the player that Copp has developed into. His free agent market will be significant if he makes it there, meaning this one-year deal is certainly a risk for the Jets in terms of retaining his services past 2021-22. The team is in a win-now mode though after a disappointing second-round exit, and clearly has decided that the expensive defensive additions were worth the cap squeeze they’re now experiencing.

With Copp signed, the Jets have essentially completed their offseason work, with only Johnny Kovacevic still to sign as a restricted free agent.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Central Notes: Copp, Pleau, Fiala

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The Jets are a team that projects to be quite tight to the Upper Limit of the salary cap.  Per CapFriendly, they have just over $6MM in cap room which amounts to roughly $11.35MM once Bryan Little’s LTIR is factored in but they still have to re-sign defenseman Neal Pionk and center Andrew Copp as well, both of whom have arbitration hearings later this month.  Accordingly, Scott Billeck of the Winnipeg Sun suggests that with the strong platform season Copp had – one that saw him notch career highs in goals (15), assists (24), and points (39) – could wind up pushing him out of town.  GM Kevin Cheveldayoff spent nearly $10MM last month to shore up their back end with the acquisitions of Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon but if Pionk and Copp wind up getting more than they anticipated, it certainly could force their hand into trading someone and selling high on Copp would certainly make some sense for Winnipeg.

More from the Central:

  • The Coyotes have added some experience to their front office as they announced the hiring of Larry Pleau as Senior Advisor to the General Manager. The 74-year-old spent the last 23 years with St. Louis with the first 12 of those being as their GM and the last 11 in an advisory role similar to the one he will have with Arizona.  GM Bill Armstrong certainly has a long-standing connection with Pleau having worked under him for 16 seasons with the Blues before coming to the desert last year.
  • The Wild’s decision to elect salary arbitration for winger Kevin Fiala earlier this week raised some eyebrows as it’s a move that’s rarely made. Michael Russo of The Athletic posits (subscription link) that the team wants to ensure Fiala is at training camp at the start which wasn’t the case two years ago when talks dragged out longer than either side would have liked.  While a deal will be done within the next two weeks – his hearing is August 17th – there is certainly some risk that Minnesota is taking as Fiala could simply elect for a two-year award to take him to UFA eligibility in 2023, a move that certainly would hurt his trade value as well if it gets to that point.

17 Players File For Salary Arbitration

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At 4pm CT today, the deadline for players to file for salary arbitration passed. Once it did, the NHLPA released the full list of 17 players who have filed. That list:

Nikita Zadorov (CGY)
Dennis Gilbert (COL)
Adam Erne (DET)
Jakub Vrana (DET)
Michael McNiven (MTL)
Juuse Saros (NSH)
Dante Fabbro (NSH)
Adam Pelech (NYI)
Victor Mete (OTT)
Zach Aston-Reese (PIT)
Adin Hill (SJS)
Vince Dunn (SEA)
Zach Sanford (STL)
Ross Colton (TBL)
Jason Dickinson (VAN)
Andrew Copp (WPG)
Neal Pionk (WPG)

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet notes that the Boston Bruins also filed for team-elected arbitration with Brandon Carlo in the first window, but the two sides reached a six-year extension on last month. Other restricted free agents that are arbitration-eligible but did not file can still be taken to arbitration by their clubs. The second deadline for club-elected arbitration filing is August 2 at 4pm CT. Salary arbitration hearings will be held between August 11-26, but the two sides can continue to negotiate a contract up until the time of their hearing.

It is important to note that these players who have elected salary arbitration are no longer eligible to sign an offer sheet.

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