The contract was the biggest one handed out by general manager Steve Yzerman his four offseasons as Detroit Red Wings general manager, and with that came significant expectations.
Expectations that, one year later, are leading Andrew Copp into the offseason with a mission: "To prove that I'm a top-six player."
Those were Copp's words in his end-of-season availability, days after he wrapped his first year in red and white with nine goals and 33 assists in 82 games.
"I think that my defensive game has always been there; penalty kill, I feel like that’s been really consistent throughout my whole career," Copp said.