Versatile Copp prepared to help Jets take the next step

WINNIPEG - As the off-season rolled on, Andrew Copp saw the Winnipeg Jets sign Paul Stastny and Neal Pionk, while also acquiring defencemen Nate Schmidt and Brenden Dillon in trades, which meant the room the team had to sign him to a contract was getting smaller.
Still, Copp wanted to be part of the team that general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff was building. So while the negotiations - which began in June - initially started with a multi-year deal, Copp was quick to sign a one-year contract with an average annual value of $3.64 million to remain in Jets colours.
"I'm happy with it, I'm happy with the improvements that the team made in the off-season," said Copp on Thursday. "We think that we're a team that can go all the way this year. So, I'm really excited to be back and really excited to see what kind of team we've got moving forward here."

Copp's arbitration date was scheduled for Aug. 26, but getting this contract completed prior to that date renders that date unnecessary.
He had been through the process before (on the deal that had just expired), and - while he's always ready to go to bat for himself if required - he doesn't mind avoiding it entirely this summer.
"I've got a lot more opportunity the last two years and taken steps in my game and continued to get better," said Copp. " At the end of the day, I'm happy not to have to go through that process and happy that we came to an amicable negotiation that was pretty quick, actually."
The 27-year-old winger (or centre, depending on where the team needs him that particular night) had career-highs in goals (15), assists (24), and points (39) in 55 games in 2020-21.
It was just the next step in the growth of Copp's game, which head coach Paul Maurice has always described as incredibly solid in the defensive zone.
Over the span of his 411 NHL games, Copp has continued to work on the offensive side of the rink.
Just because this contract is signed, that work doesn't stop.
"I feel like I've gotten better every season that I've been in the NHL, and I want this year to be the same," he said. "I'm not too worried about stats or anything like that. I'm just worried about helping the team win, and hopefully just trying to prove my worth and continue to do that and continue to improve."
The Ann Arbor, Michigan product played in all situations for the Jets last season, often the first over the boards with Adam Lowry to kill penalties. He was a big part of the Jets' second power play unit, and since 2017-18 he's routinely been in the team's top 10 in terms of shot attempt percentage at five-on-five (according to Natural Stat Trick).

He wants to continue to bring that versatility this year, no matter who his linemates are.
The one he had for the majority of last season - Mason Appleton - was claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the Expansion Draft.
"We're going to have to figure out a way to replace him and what he brought on a night-to-night basis," said Copp, adding that despite adjustments to some new faces in the room, he likes where the team is at.
"I think we've got a really well-rounded defensive corps now and depth back there, too," he said. "we're really excited about that and obviously we feel like we've got one of the best goalies in the league and our forward group has been pretty solid now for a number of years."

Despite the forward group being solid as it's constructed, Copp - and every other player in the NHL - knows that injuries are part of the game.
More often than not, Copp is the one that gets the call to play top six minutes or change his power play role - other duties as assigned, if you will. He's played with everyone from Lowry to Mark Scheifele, to Paul Stastny, to Nikolaj Ehlers.
"It's just the role that I've had the last couple years of being very versatile and moving between lines pretty seamlessly," he said. "I think that's a conversation that I'm sure I'll have with Paul in the next month before training camp starts and see what he's thinking. Obviously, there is a lot of different ways that the lineup can shake out."
However it shakes out, Copp knows he's going to be a big part of the team's success.
And even though he faces unrestricted free agency at the end of the season, his focus is far more on that team success rather than his own.
He says he's grown accustomed to the uncertainty - whether it be the two expansion drafts he's been through, or contract negotiations - he's comfortable being uncomfortable.
So this one-year deal suits him just fine.
"Winning just solves everything," said Copp. "That's my goal is to come back and get as far as we can and win and just see where the chips fall after that."