Forward Andrew Copp said on Thursday that, one year ago at this time, he started looking at houses and hoped that the Jets would sign him long-term. How quickly everything can change.
Winnipeg traded Copp and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the New York Rangers for prospect Morgan Barron, two conditional second-round picks and a fifth-round pick on Monday ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline. Copp has 13 goals and 35 points in 56 games this season for the Jets.
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The conditions of the picks: The first 2022 second-round pick will become the Rangers’ 2022 first-round pick if the Rangers advance to the Eastern Conference final and Copp plays in at least 50 percent of their playoff games. For the other second-round pick, it will either be St. Louis’ 2022 second-round pick or the Rangers’ second-round pick in 2023.
After the trade, Winnipeg assigned Barron to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose.
As disappointed as Copp may be that the Jets’ offseason acquisitions (Paul Stastny, Nate Schmidt, and Brenden Dillon) ate at their cap space to the point where a one year contract was all that fit, his contract history – a two-year arbitration deal in 2019 prior to his one year deal in 2021 – gives this trade more of a sense of inevitability than surprise.
“I’ve been here for so long you kind of want to have a chance with this group,” Copp said on Thursday. “But at the same time, when you feel like you’re out of it you also want to have a chance to go and win.”
Now Copp has that chance. The Rangers have a 40-18-5 record and are a virtual lock to make the playoffs. Copp should fit in well as a middle-six forward who can play center or left wing, face tough competition, and kill penalties. He’ll make an already very good team just a little bit more difficult to play against.
Meanwhile, Winnipeg is left to claw towards what look to be very low playoff odds, while also trying to figure out what went wrong. This season started with so much promise and, while Paul Maurice’s departure, injuries, and other extenuating factors chipped at their success, the Jets have work to do to re-establish themselves as a perennial playoff team.
To that end, Winnipeg did well to commit to their future, recouping assets for a player who had been planning to test free agency.
For more updates, follow The Athletic’s trade deadline live blog.
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(Top photo: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
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Jets trade-by-trade analysis, from Andrew Copp to Bryan Little
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NHL trade grades: Rangers get the versatile forward they needed in Andrew Copp
What led to the Jets trading Copp?
Murat Ates, Jets beat writer: Copp’s contracts have been structured to bring him to UFA status as soon as possible — that is, this summer — since his Jets debut.
From the moment Copp signed as a college forward in 2015, playing one game so as to burn the first year of his ELC, to his arbitration hearing in 2019 and his election for arbitration again in 2021, Copp’s contracts have all been designed to expedite free agency. When Copp didn’t get a substantial offer for big money and term last summer, he made it clear that he would be seeking out the UFA market.
It became up to Winnipeg to trade him or hold on to him for the stretch run, risking losing him for nothing this summer. The Jets have made their choice.
How does Winnipeg replace him?
Ates: Replacing Copp is easier said than done — the truth is Winnipeg could have used more forwards with Copp’s 200-foot commitment, even with him in the lineup.
The Jets did acquire 6-foot-4, perennial 20-30 point left wing Zach Sanford from the Ottawa Senators and bring back popular teammate Mason Appleton from Seattle, who scored 25 points on Winnipeg’s third line last season. To me, this is a suggestion that Winnipeg keeps its first two lines intact while moving to a third line of Sanford and Appleton, centered by Adam Lowry.
In the long run, Winnipeg’s best bet at filling the role of “smart two-way forward with a surprising amount of offense” comes in the form of 21-year-old center David Gustafsson, currently playing big minutes for the Manitoba Moose.
Where does Copp fit with the Rangers?
Arthur Staple, New York hockey columnist: Right in with what Gerard Gallant wants to see from his team. Copp was the one forward on the market who could give the Rangers wing and center versatility, a bit of snarl and some scoring touch. He could play anywhere from the top line to the fourth line and bumps down some lesser-skilled players to their proper roles.
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