Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Plans Following Andrew Copp Season-Ending Injury
With news that Andrew Copp will miss the rest of the season, can the Detroit Red Wings make a trade to fill the hole he leaves?
The Detroit Red Wings are trying to secure a playoff spot for the first time since 2016. Last Saturday afternoon, they hosted the Minnesota Wild for the first game since the 4 Nations Face-Off break. In that game, Andrew Copp was seen leaving the dressing room after a wrestling match in a scrum behind Detroit’s net. The worst-case scenario presented itself on Tuesday as it was announced that he would miss the remainder of the season with a torn pectoral muscle.
This leaves the Red Wings without their second and third-line centers, as Michael Rasmussen also got injured after a high hit from Ducks’ star Trevor Zegras on Tuesday.
What This Means for the Red Wings
Since Todd McLellan‘s hire in late December, the Red Wings have been 16-5-2, making them one of the best teams in that span. Having not made the playoffs in nearly a decade, they will likely look to fill the gaping hole in their centre depth.
Detroit called up Sheldon Dries to help in the bottom six. At practice, it seemed like Marco Kasper would be left on the first line. He has had success playing with leading scorers Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.
General Manager Steve Yzerman might not have a choice but to trade for a bigger name than expected ahead of the trade deadline.
One player that has been linked to the Red Wings in recent weeks is Dylan Cozens. The 24-year-old center has an expiring contract at a 7.1 million dollar cap hit. Overall, Cozens has been rather underwhelming with the Buffalo Sabres, but so have most of his teammates. The Red Wings also have many picks and prospects as assets that could interest Buffalo.
Having Copp’s 5.63 million dollar cap hit on injured reserve could facilitate acquiring Cozens. Detroit will also be freeing up cap space this summer, with Patrick Kane and Jeff Petry becoming unrestricted free agents. This would allow Yzerman to find the money to re-sign Cozens in the long term.
The situation in Detroit is tough, but Copp’s injury does allow the Red Wings’ management to be creative and turn a bad situation into a good one.
Next: Canadiens Have Set Asking Price in Jake Evans Trade
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