The Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan posted a summary of the Red Wings’ free agency moves today, July 13th, by discussing the comments made by Andrew Copp, David Perron and Ben Chiarot:
Wednesday’s haul excited the newcomers, who feel it’s a sign the Red Wings are done with rebuilding and looking to contend for the playoffs.
“The Red Wings are a team, with some of the signings that happened today, they’re ready to take the next step in their evolution, and I wanted to be part of that,” Perron said.
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Copp said he saw similarities between teams he’s been on such as Winnipeg and the New York Rangers, young teams that took dramatic steps upward, and the current Wings roster.
“Definitely,” Copp said. “The year we went to the conference final in Winnipeg, we missed the playoffs by six games the year before, and all of a sudden, the next year, we’re kind of a powerhouse and had the second-best record in the league. That change can happen quickly.
“This year, with the Rangers, they went from a team projected not to be in the playoffs to being in the conference finals. You never know when that jump will be. But I have a lot of faith in the young talent that’s come through the last couple of years, and guys that have been here like Larks (Dylan Larkin) and (Tyler) Bertuzzi. We have a good group ready to take the next step.”
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“As a player you always want your team to be adding pieces and trying to get better and Steve definitely tried to do that today,” Chiarot said. “Andrew Copp is a guy I played with in Winnipeg, a great forward and person, and Kubalik, there’s a lot of good players added to the team today. It’s an exciting day for myself and all the guys on the team when you have your team take steps forward like today.”
