Andrew Copp is determined to be in the lineup when his new team opens the season.
Copp, one of multiple free-agent additions by general manager Steve Yzerman during the offseason, has recovered enough from core surgery that he has begun practicing in a non-contact jersey. But with the Detroit Red Wings' Oct. 14 opener two weeks away, Copp is hopeful he can be cleared by then.
"I feel like we’ve been a little ahead of schedule the whole time," Copp said Friday. "But it is one of those injuries where you can set it back for three or four days, so I’m trying to ride that line of doing enough to strengthen it but not go over the line.