Detroit — Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman saw a lot of forward J.T. Compher when Yzerman was scouting the college ranks as a member of Tampa’s front office.
What Yzerman saw then, while Compher was at Michigan, is pretty much the Compher that’s been successful in the NHL and the player the Wings signed July 1 on the first day of free agency.
Compher, Yzerman believes, will help the Wings in a variety of ways, and those types of players are valuable.
“I like his versatility as a hockey player,” Yzerman said after the announcement of the signing. “He’s a natural centerman, he’s a right-shot centerman, which we don’t have at this time. We just drafted one in Nate (Danielson), but we’ll give him time to develop into an NHLer.
“We’ve got a right-shot centerman (Compher) who has played all three forward positions, who has played on the power play, does kill penalties. He’s a very versatile player for us and that ability to move around, to me, makes him very valuable.”
Compher, 28, signed a five-year contract worth $25.5 million ($5.1 annual average value) to join the Wings and reunite with former Michigan teammates Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp. Compher (6-foot, 190 pounds) is coming off a career-best 52-point season in Colorado, with 17 goals and 35 assists.
The ability to play all three forward positions, being on both the power play and penalty kill, and coming from a Colorado organization that won a Stanley Cup recently but also went through an extensive and painful rebuild — which Compher was there for — should benefit the Wings.
“We had some success in Colorado but it took a lot of building,” Compher said upon joining the Wings. “My first year (in Colorado, 2016-17) we were the worst team in the league. I’ve seen both sides of it and I know what it takes. I’m excited to be with this group and build toward the ultimate goal of winning a championship. It starts with making the playoffs.
“I’m excited for this challenge.”
Because of several key injuries on the Avalanche, Compher saw his role and responsibility increase last season and he responded well, making him a prime free-agent target of several teams.
Interestingly, Compher is a player who came into the NHL with a reputation for being an effective and dependable defensive forward, and he saw his offensive side catch up the last few seasons. Often it’s the other way around, with the defensive end being something young players learn to master a bit later in their career.
“When I was trying to solidify myself as an NHL player there were a lot of details of being a 200-foot player, the defensive side of it,” Compher said. “I wanted to earn trust in Colorado with the coaching staff and the team. Over the last couple of years the progress has happened on the offensive side, where I’m more comfortable holding on to the puck and making plays. I took a step, especially in terms of my playmaking abilities and just making better plays on entries and in the zone.
“I feel like at my core I’m a 200-foot player that’s going to be as detailed as possible defensively and continue to push and be as good as I can be offensively.”
The playoff runs and successes, and getting a bigger role, made Compher a better overall player.
“The experience of winning, playing a little bit of second-line center in the playoffs the year we won (in 2022), all that was good for my confidence,” Compher said. “I got to play more last year with all the injuries and in a lot more of an offensive role, and that continued progressing my game with confidence and a little more poise with the puck.
“I’m excited to continue that development. Last year is something I can build off of.”
The ability to play with Larkin and Copp again and the opportunity to return to Michigan all contributed to Compher being excited about joining the Wings. But the direction the Wings are going, with Yzerman in charge and molding the roster, most intrigued Compher.
“Playing at Michigan and growing up in Chicago were both things that have helped me see the great legacy and tradition the Red Wings have. I have a lot of respect for the organization,” Compher said. “I had some really good talks with Steve and the coaching staff and what they are trying to build and how they are trying to build it, in terms of this year and the future. It sounds like a great place to play hockey. My conversation with Steve and hearing about the direction of the Wings and what he was trying to build, he’s done it before. He has experience, not only as a player but in management.”
Compher spoke extensively with Larkin and Copp before finalizing his decision. He liked the enthusiasm his former Wolverines teammates have right now being Red Wings. The players Yzerman added through free agency and trades have improved the depth and quality of the lineup.
“I’m excited to get on the ice with those guys (Copp and Larkin),” Compher said. “It was the direction of the team, the desire to win. I could hear it in their voice. That’s what you want as a player, a chance to build and try to win a championship.
“They said they love the room and they have a really good group of guys that want to win.”
ted.kulfan@detroitnews.com
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