6/26/22 | On the 5/28 Hockey Night in Canada 32 Thoughts, Jeff Marek spoke about Andrew Copp.
Marek said “Andrew Copp has put himself in a really nice position right now. He is a UFA coming up at the end of the season and a great trade deadline acquisition…and you wonder about the marketplace for someone like Andrew Copp and it kind of sounds as if it’s a combination between Phillip Danault’s contract, maybe Zach Hyman’s contract. Danault is six years $33 million, Zach Hyman is seven-years $38.5 million dollars. It sounds like Copp has positioned himself right into that conversation.”
Danault has a cap hit of $5.5 million, a no-move clause in the first three years and a modified no-trade in the last three years.
Hyman has a cap hit of $5.5 million, a no-move clause in the first five-years of the deal and a modified no-trade in the last two years.
Emily Kaplan wrote before the Conference Finals that she thinks Copp has “a good chance to stay in New York.” (ESPN)
It was said shortly after Copp was acquired that the Rangers were going to “push hard” to sign Copp.
Copp said at the end of the season (NYR):
- “I definitely did enjoy my time here and definitely feels like there is some unfinished business. Really liked the group and direction this team is going.”
He also said that he prefers the rhythm that comes with playing center and that the only issues that comes up is when “you play 35 straight games at wing, and then you play center for one night and then back to wing.” (NYR)
The Athletic projects Copp’s next contract as being $5.8 million for four-years.
Adam Rotter: The feeling of Copp likely returning to the Rangers, that was gaining steam during his run in the regular season and the playoffs has started to change a bit. It’s not that Copp or the Rangers have changed their feelings about it each other, it’s believed that the Rangers want to keep Copp and that Copp has interest in staying with the Rangers. The change is that the interest around the league in Copp has been growing and may go past where the Rangers are willing to go in a contract.
A lot of teams seem to be looking at Copp in the way that Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman were looked at last year, and how Ondrej Palat will also be looked at this year, as a veteran who can slide up and down your lineup, play everywhere and be a culture changer. The Rangers invested six-years and $3.6 million into Goodrow, a bottom-six forward, because of his versatility and cup winning experience. Copp doesn’t have the Stanley Cups on his resume, but he can play five of the six spots in the top-six, he likely can’t be your number one center, and even slide down to being one of the better third liners in the league. A ton of teams, especially those looking to make a leap like the Rangers did this year, would want that. This is also going to be Copp’s best chance at truly cashing in and if that is the case then he probably won’t end up back with the Rangers, but if winning is his priority maybe there can be some give on both sides.
I think that the Rangers paid the price they did for Copp because they believed he could be a big piece moving forward, but his play and everything that he did that made him valuable to the Rangers has also made him very valuable around the league.