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 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 $3.64M 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 it targets. 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 the Jets 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, 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 ever 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.
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