The Detroit Red Wings were dealt a brutal injury blow on Tuesday morning, as key forward Andrew Copp will miss the rest of the season after getting injured in the second period of a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon.
“Andrew Copp underwent successful surgery today to repair his left pectoral tendon,” the Wings announced on social media. “He will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an expected recovery timeline of 4-6 months.”
It’s an awful update for a Detroit team that is working hard to break a long postseason drought. The only silver lining is that Copp will be placed on long-term injured reserve, meaning the front office will be able to use his $5.625 million cap hit to improve the roster between now and the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
Copp had been solid for a surging Red Wings club before the injury; the Ann Arbor, Michigan native chipped in 10 goals and 23 points over 56 games this season. His best campaign came in 2022-23, when he amassed 42 points over a full 82-game slate with Detroit.
In a corresponding move, the Wings recalled center Sheldon Dries from the American Hockey League’s Grand Rapids Griffins. He could make his 2024-25 season debut as soon as Tuesday night against the Wild at Xcel Energy Center.
Along with Copp, Michael Rasmussen will not be available on Tuesday night after he was injured on a high hit by Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras on Sunday. Zegras was slapped with a three-game suspension from the NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday.
The loss of Copp is an abysmal blow for the Red Wings, but the squad continues to surge on the other side of the 4 Nations Face-Off break.
Red Wings surging as they look to break long postseason drought
After a mediocre first half of the 2024-25 NHL campaign, the Red Wings have been terrific since the end of December. Managing two separate seven-game winning streaks, Detroit has surged into the top wildcard slot in the Eastern Conference with a 29-22-6 record.
They currently have a two-point cushion on the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, and are three up on the Boston Bruins with 25 games left. Although the hold is precarious, the Wings have been one of the league’s best teams over the last two months.
After picking up three of a possible four points over a back-to-back set on Saturday and Sunday, Todd McLellan’s team is looking well-positioned to snap a playoff drought that dates back to 2016-17.
Although the loss of Copp is brutal, the chances are still good that the Wings will be back in the dance for the first time in almost a decade come mid-April.
The squad is back in action against the Wild in Minnesota on Tuesday before a home-and-home set against the Blue Jackets on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
The latter game will be the NHL’s 43rd outdoor contest; the 2025 Stadium Series between Detroit and Columbus is set for 6 p.m. ET from Ohio Stadium.
The post Andrew Copp’s crushing injury update could have $5.625 million impact appeared first on ClutchPoints.
