As Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff notes, Red Wings coach Todd McLellan believes that J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp can still be useful members of the team as Swiss Army Knife players:
“I think (Copp) and JT could be different difference makers this year,” McLellan said.
At the same time, he’s witnessed two players in action who are far too often all about inaction.
“In JT and in Copper, I saw two different players,” McLellan said. “I saw somebody that wasn’t getting after it. They were a little reserved, holding back, kind of (getting there) second to different scenarios. And then when they got after it and they went after it, they were way better.
“They have to decide which one of those they want to be. And if they want to be ahead of things and using their hockey sense and getting after it, then they’re going to be really good players. If they want to be reserved and playing in the middle of the rink all the time and calculated well, we’ll have to figure that part out.”
I mentioned this on Kulkas Korner already, but I think both of these guys would have been near the top of the free agent pool if they were available this past summer. I think that if we need to move Compher because Danielson takes his spot, we would be able to trade him fairly easily for a modest return, such as a third-round pick. In the current cap situation, Compher’s contract reflects a small overpay rather than a massive overpay.
I still hold out hope that he can put whatever was bothering him last season behind him and hit this year on all cylinders. But, I really want to see Danielson (and Lombardi and Mazur) with the big club.
I wouldn’t be stunned if Copp or Compher were moved at some point. I just can’t see them finishing their careers as Red Wings players.