In more than one way, Andrew Copp finds himself in a strange place to start the season with the Red Wings.

The former Vancouver Canucks forward is filling in on the top line between Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat while the Red Wings usual top line center and former captain Dylan Larkin sits out with injury. Meanwhile, Copp finds himself in the last year of his contract after he was part of the Red Wings most productive line down the stretch last season.

However, most of Copp’s work doesn’t end up showing up on the stat sheet under his name.

‘He probably didn’t have a great year as far as goals go, offense, five on five, but he produced with the other two [Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane] in different ways.’ Said head coach Todd McLellan.

Now, with the team’s future at center anything but certain, figuring out where Copp lands in the lineup gets hard to predict when, or if Dylan Larkin does return to play for the Red Wings this season.

If it ain’t broke…

One of the larger complaints around the Red Wings, especially down the final stretch of last year was the team’s ability to consistently generate offense. The Red Wings were a bottom three team in the league in 5-on-5 goal scoring.

Of the six players in the Red Wings top two lines only Lucas Raymond is currently in the same lineup position as he was at this time last year.

‘It makes sense for us to keep Copper with Cat. They were our best line down the stretch last year.’ Said McLellan.

Both Copp and DeBrincat have been bumped up a line, Larkin is sitting out of the lineup, and the Red Wings second line is made up of free agent acquisition Viktor Arvidsson, Marco Kasper, and Emmitt Finnie. It’s a lot of turnover, and with a shortened preseason, not a lot of time to build chemistry.

The problem being…

Despite the lack of depth at the position, the Red Wings do find themselves in something of a logjam at center this year. Kasper has largely been expected to take over the 2C position since entering the league, though a disappointing sophomore season may have tempered those expectations.

When (or if) Larkin returns , the Red Wings could bump Copp down to center the second line like last year. Though with DeBrincat and Kane no longer there, one wonders if he will be nearly as productive as a set up man.

Kasper’s goal totals from last year match Copp’s, and putting Kasper on a line with Micheal Rasmussen and Keegan Kolesarplaying fewer minutes isn’t likely to increase his offensive output.

Until he proves it isn’t, the 2C position ends up being Kasper’s by default, which makes placing Copp in the lineup harder when he isn’t filling in for Larkin. However, in the midst of a contract year, Copp has plenty of motivation to prove he deserves a spot in the lineup, and he’ll have more than enough opportunity to try and show it on the top line to start the year.