from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
The issue with Copp, who turns 30 in July, isn't how hard he plays, it's that his production is not commensurate with his salary. It was, from the get-go, on the higher side for a forward who had only one 20-goal season on his resume (from 2021-22, which he began with the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted Copp at No. 104 in 2013, and finished with the New York Rangers). But that's free agency in a nutshell: It's a player's market, where teams pay premiums for what is available.
The Wings signed Copp expecting him to build on the 53-point season he was coming off, even with accounting for the fact his offseason was hampered by undergoing core surgery.
Copp was fully healthy coming into this season, but his production still disappointed. He didn't see much top-six time, true — but neither did Robby Fabbri and Daniel Sprong, and they each scored 18 goals.
"I think I have proven that I can be a top-six offensive player," Copp said. "It wasn’t what was asked of me. If you’d look at the No. 1 strength of my game, you’d say hockey IQ and defending. I do relish that role. Everyone wants to produce, everyone wants to score goals, but whatever is best for the team I think is the biggest thing."