Copp must master art of the draw

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 03/10/2016 (3288 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Even after 77 National Hockey League games during his rookie season, Andrew Copp knows his spot on the Winnipeg Jets isn’t a foregone conclusion.

It’s not a scathing assessment of the 22-year-old’s rookie campaign. By all accounts, Copp had the year you’d expect from a fourth-liner playing limited minutes.

Still, the Ann Arbor, Mich., product chipped in with seven goals and 13 points averaging about eight minutes game.

No. By Copp’s own admission he needs to find the next level to his game.

“You know that competition is coming,” he said Monday morning at MTS Iceplex, reflecting on his mental processes over the off-season heading into this year’s training camp.

The 2013 fourth-round pick is in a dogfight for a bottom-six spot on the Jets’ opening night 23-man roster. Through three games played this pre-season, Copp has made it a point to show he can be a key contributor on a Jets team oozing with young talent.

For the former Michigan Wolverines standout, contribution begins in the faceoff circle.

“It was always a strength of mine, before but for whatever reason, I wasn’t able to get above that 50 per cent clip last season (46.1),” Copp said. “I wouldn’t say it was a huge weakness, but it is something that used to be an overwhelming strength.”

Part of his struggles in the circle came from taking draws against elite NHL talent as opposed to the college players he’d happily dominate.

“The timing and who goes down first is so much more distinct. It’s so much more structured in the NHL,” he said. “In college, both guys just go down and it’s a battle.”

So, Copp took to the ice and to the film room in the off-season trying to get his timing down. Thus far it seems to have worked.

Entering Monday’s game Copp had won more than 70 per cent of his draws in two pre-season games. He also knows it’s going to take more than getting his stick down a little quicker.

“Being responsible in my own zone, taking away time and space and showing some offensive ability,” said Copp, who has one goal in the pre-season.

“I ended last season on a bit of a hot streak (four goals in the final eight games) and I just want to bring that offensive momentum into this year,” he said. “I want to show that I can play anywhere in the lineup.”

Copp did just that Monday night, starting the game on the wing on the team’s fourth line against the visiting Ottawa Senators.

“Really comfortable with him. He’s a smart player, so I didn’t think there would be a huge adjustment,” said head coach Paul Maurice. “I liked it.”

Maurice said Copp played a “developed game” last season, naming his consistency, his quick-distance speed and his plus-minus as above average from a rookie.

“Andrew just needs to get older,” Maurice said. “He’s a real fit guy, a committed guy who works hard.”

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.caTwitter: @scottbilleck