Andrew Copp

Detroit’s front office took plenty of heat when it committed to Andrew Copp, because that is how this league works when the cap math gets tight and the scoreboard does not cooperate. Now the Red Wings are getting the kind of return that makes a contract feel a lot less like a gamble and a lot more like a sensible bet. This is the sort of payoff that changes how a team talks about its middle six, especially when the margin for error is still thin.

Andrew Copp is stepping into a different kind of spotlight, this one built more on community presence than faceoff dots and zone exits. The Red Wings forward is serving as the guest speaker for Detroit’s high school sports awards, which gives the event a little extra cachet and a direct line to the pros. These appearances matter more than people think, because players who show up in the city tend to mean something to the city.