Potential Leafs UFA target chasing the bag, prices himself out of Toronto's range
With free agency opening up on Wednesday at noon, we are going to begin hearing more about what pending UFAs may be looking for on the open market in terms of term and salary and potential landing spots for this year's most coveted targets.
One player who is expected to draw a significant amount of interest after a lengthy playoff run with the New York Rangers is forward Andrew Copp. While it was originally expected that Copp and the Rangers would try to work out an extension, it appears as though the 28-year-old has his sights set on testing the open market.
According to The Athletic's Arthur Staple, Copp and his camp are expected to use the deal that former Leaf Zach Hyman signed with the Edmonton Oilers last summer as a measuring stick for his new deal. Hyman inked a 7-year, $38.5M deal with the Oilers less than one year ago, back on July 28th. Hyman's deal carries a $5.5M AAV.
It's also worth noting that Hyman also negotiated a full NMC into the first 5 years of his contract, as well as a modified NTC for the final two years that allows Hyman to submit an 8-team trade list in 2026-27, and a 10-team trade list in 2027-28. I'd imagine that if Copp is using the Hyman contract as a measuring stick, he'll likely pursue a similar level of trade protection.
Copp put together a very respectable 2021-22 campaign for the Winnipeg Jets, notching 35 points in 56 games before being dealt to the New York Rangers at the trade deadline. The Ann Arbor, Michigan native absolutely exploded in New York, amassing 18 points in just 16 games for the Rangers and adding 14 points in 20 playoff games as he helped propel the Rangers to an Eastern Conference Finals matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Obviously, his $5.5M asking price will likely remove him from consideration from Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and AGM Brandon Pridham, as it will be very tough to accommodate such a lofty deal for a player who played mostly 2nd and 3rd line minutes for much of his NHL career. The lofty ask likely means that Copp is looking for a more prominent role with a new team with increased responsibility.
If his ask does come down on Wednesday or in the days that follow, I could see Copp as a player who the Leafs would have an interest in, given his ability to play both wing and center, the pace that he plays with, and the style of game that he employs. Copp feels like the type of player that a team can win with, but at that price tag, I'd expect the Leafs to be out.
