Red Wings ink Andrew Copp to long-term deal
Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Andrew Copp is headed to the Atlantic Division, having signed a 5-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, which carries a cap hit of $5.625M per season.
Copp, an Ann Arbor, Michigan native will be heading home to play for the Wings after going all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals with the New York Rangers this past season. Copp was a point-per-game player as a Ranger during the regular season, notching 18 points in 16 games in New York. He also added 14 points in 20 playoff games on the Rangers' run.
The Copp signing signifies that the Red Wings feel they're ready to turn a corner in their rebuild and begin to transition from a rebuilding team into one who is prepared to try to challenge for a playoff spot. They're likely not there quite yet, but with the 5-year term on Copp's deal, it's reasonable to suggest that Steve Yzerman feels as though his team is only 1-2 years away from being a playoff team.
