Copp hoping his play proves No. 2 centre worthiness

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This article was published 11/08/2020 (1855 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He was one of the few bright spots in an all-too-brief playoff appearance for the Winnipeg Jets. Now Andrew Copp hopes to parlay that personal success into a bigger role with the franchise going forward.

The 26-year-old forward believes he could be the solution to the team’s seemingly never-ending search for a permanent second-line centre behind his good buddy, Mark Scheifele. 

“I played a lot and definitely took a step throughout the regular season and then feel like I took another step in these last four games. I felt like I was able, with (Bryan Little) going down, started the year as second-line centre and that’s a spot I would love to try and cement and try to really establish myself,” Copp said Tuesday in a Zoom call with media. 

Copp was the Swiss Army knife for the Jets this season, moving up and down the lineup, from wing to centre, and playing with more than a dozen different players. He was on pace to set career offensive highs with 10 goals and 16 assists during the abbreviated regular season, then added two goals in four qualifying round games against Calgary. 

The Jets have brought in Paul Stastny, Kevin Hayes and Cody Eakin during the last three trade deadlines in an attempt to bolster their depth up the middle. With Little’s status in doubt — he’s expected to speak on Wednesday about the season-ending head injury suffered last November — opportunity may be knocking. 

“I think I want my play to dictate that (head coach Paul Maurice) can’t have me anywhere else but that spot. Just try to let my play do the talking. It’s not going to be assumed, for sure. Whatever the situation is — and if Bryan is healthy next year and ready to go then obviously he’s a fantastic player, so that would be a spot that he’s had for the last few years, so that would change the dynamics a bit,” said Copp.

“I just feel like I’m working hard for it and that’s where I see my game going. Like I said, I don’t want to have to tell the coaches. I want them to see it in the play and just kind of be like, “We can’t afford to have him anywhere else but in that spot.”

Copp said the abrupt ending to the return to play has left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“Going into the playoffs, we felt we had a chance to go on a bit of a run. Obviously, sitting here right now that’s not the case, so I think there’s definitely some disappointment in how the year finished. So, yeah, especially in the first 24 hours it was a pretty s—-y feeling, honestly,” said Copp.

Although he doesn’t wear a letter, Copp has taken on a bigger leadership role with the club, including being one of the players who speaks most often with media. He was asked what it might take to get his team back to being an elite contender, as they were two seasons ago in a run to the Western Conference final. 

“Playing better. That’s not my job, to figure out what the whole team needs. I just gotta worry about, with the guys we have, about trying to be a guy that makes everyone around him better, who tries to continue to improve upon his game so he can bring as much to the team as possible. I think that’s kind for management and coaching to decide where areas of improvement are needed,” he said.

The defensive details are already well-established, and now Copp hopes to add a bit more scoring punch to his toolbox. He’s back at his off-season home in Michigan and will take some time off before gearing up for the 2020-21 season, which is expected to begin in December. He will once again resume training with skills coach Adam Oates, who Scheifele has worked with for years. 

“My first couple years, getting to that third line, playing against the other team’s best, and now I feel like I’m ready to take that next step with another good summer, with a lot of time to put into my game and continue working on puck-handling and finishing, a lot of those things that can take me to the next level,” said Copp, who went to arbitration with the Jets last summer and was awarded a two-year deal worth US$2.28 million per season.

“I think it’s just continuing to work on my game, for sure, and finding that consistent production. Because a lot of the other parts of my game are pretty consistent.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg