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Andreas Athanasiou

Detroit Red Wings Agree To Terms With Andreas Athanasiou

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The Detroit Red Wings have finally come to an agreement with forward Andreas Athanasiou on a one-year contract worth $1.39MM. The team is currently right at the cap, and will need to move salary of some sort out before officially signing the contract and putting Athanasiou on the roster. Whether that comes through trade, long-term injured reserve or waivers is still to be seen.

Andreas AthanasiouThe final restricted free agent to sign this year, Athanasiou has been skating in Switzerland to stay in shape while the NHL season began. While the Red Wings had made one-year $1.25MM, and two-year $3.8MM offers there was still apparently in a divide in what Detroit, Athanasiou and agent Darren Ferris believed he was worth. After an 18-goal campaign, the speedster was poised to be given even more responsibility this season as an integral part of the offense.

Athanasiou was selected in the fourth round in 2012, but exploded offensively for the Barrie Colts before showing he could reproduce that skill at the professional level. In parts of three seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Athanasiou scored 51 points in 83 games before making the jump to the NHL. His 43 points in 101 NHL contests don’t jump off the page, but for a team like Detroit who is looking for youth and speed, Athanasiou was a shining star.

That shine was dulled a bit this summer when his holdout began, with many fans criticizing him for his decision to turn down several offers. Even as the latest restricted free agents started to sign, there was little word on why Athanasiou’s deal couldn’t get done. Last year we waited until early November on a Jacob Trouba holdout, before the Winnipeg Jets defenseman decided playing was the most important thing for his future. The 23-year old forward seems to have come to the same conclusion.

At $1.39MM, Athanasiou will slide in just below Luke Glendening in terms of salary on the Red Wings. While it is a relatively low number, the holdout could pay off next summer when heading to arbitration. Athanasiou will still be a a restricted free agent, but armed with the bigger cap number from this year. Interestingly, every day he remains unsigned he is losing out on a prorated portion of the contract. That will make the difference between the $1.25MM offer and what he eventually ends up with minimal in terms of actual salary paid, or even end up costing him some. The benefit will be felt down the road.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the deal, while Bob McKenzie of TSN gave us the exact financial info.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Detroit Red Wings Increase Offer To Andreas Athanasiou

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According to Craig Custance of The Athletic, who has been all over this story from the beginning, the Detroit Red Wings have slightly increased their one-year $1.25MM offer for Andreas Athanasiou to try and entice a return to the team (though the new total is not clear). Detroit also has a two-year, $3.8MM contract on the table for the talented forward. Custance expertly outlines the situation for both sides, coming to the conclusion that Athanasiou will have to start playing somewhere soon.

Still, Detroit has problems when it comes to fitting Athanasiou into their salary structure. Even on the one-year deal, the team would need to make another move to slide his contract in as they’re already right up against the cap. The team is already carrying only 22 players on the roster to try and stay cap compliant, but would likely have to move someone out to put Athanasiou back in. Right now, Luke Witkowski is giving them a bit of versatility with his ability to play both forward and defense, but injuries could easily put them in a very difficult situation.

Detroit got off to a very strong start this season, but ran into red-hot Tampa Bay and Toronto teams this week to drop their record to 4-3. Those Atlantic division leaders will be tough to catch this season even with Athanasiou in the fold, but getting him back as soon as possible will give them the best chance. With Anthony Mantha and Henrik Zetterberg providing solid results up front, adding a top-9 forward will only help lengthen their lineup.

Talks Increase Between Red Wings, Athanasiou

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The final restricted free agent to be signed is Andreas Athanasiou, who has not been able to work out a deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Athanasiou has been skating in Switzerland to try and stay ready for the season should a deal be worked out, but there had been little discussion in recent weeks between the two sides.

That seems to be changing now, as Bob McKenzie of TSN reports that dialogue between Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris and the Red Wings has really increased in the last few days. McKenzie cautions that there is nothing imminent, and even suggests that Athanasiou could sign in Switzerland to start playing real games.

The Red Wings are actually off to a solid start to the year, going 4-2 in their first six games and scoring more than most expected. Some of that has to do with Mike Green’s impressive nine point performance in the early going, but the team has also leaned on younger players like Anthony Mantha, Dylan Larkin and Martin Frk. Should Athanasiou return quickly, perhaps the young guns in Detroit are better positioned to push this team close to a playoff spot than many believed before the season began.

Still, the Red Wings are in tough with the salary cap. According to CapFriendly, the team has used all of the space provided by Johan Franzen’s LTIR status and currently project to be over the cap by the end of the season. That means, in order to sign Athanasiou and bring him onto the active roster they’d need to make a corresponding move. If the reported $1.9MM (two years for $3.8MM in actuality) price tag is true, it’s a lot of room to move quickly. One option would be the much speculated Riley Sheahan, who comes in at just under $2.1MM, or sending at least two players down to the minor leagues. Detroit is already operating with just 22 players, one fewer than the maximum allowed for an NHL roster.

Snapshots: Athanasiou, Iginla, Bergeron, Carlsson

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Although teams have made trade offers for Red Wings RFA winger Andreas Athanasiou, Detroit has not received any offers that have intrigued them just yet, reports MLive’s Ansar Khan.  The team remains focused on trying to reach an agreement on a new deal with the 23-year-old and GM Ken Holland had brief discussions with his agent, Darren Ferris, back on Thursday while he hopes to speak with Athanasiou directly in the coming days.  Even if they’re unable to agree on a new contract, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Detroit will then turn around and shop him aggressively as Khan notes that they are prepared to have him sit out the full season if they don’t get the right offer, which is believed to be a comparable young top-six forward.

More from the hockey world:

  • Although Jarome Iginla isn’t under contract at the moment, he may not be finished playing just yet. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (video link) that the unrestricted free agent will receive an invitation to play for Team Canada at the Karjala Cup next month, a tournament that they will be using as an evaluation camp for the Olympics in February.  Last month, it was reported that Iginla’s sole priority was landing an NHL contract but if he’s unable to do in the coming weeks, going the international route may warrant more consideration.
  • Although he wasn’t able to suit up today against Vegas, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron is making progress and could be available on Thursday versus Vancouver, the team noted on Twitter. Bergeron has yet to play this season due to a lower-body injury that was sustained late in the preseason.
  • The Blue Jackets announced (Twitter link) that they’ve placed defenseman Gabriel Carlsson on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to October 13th. Taking his place on the roster will be blueliner Markus Nutivaara, who was recalled from Cleveland (AHL).  Carlsson suffered the injury in the third period on Friday against the Rangers and had been a regular through their first four games.  As for Nutivaara, he spent all of last year with Columbus but was sent down on October 5th and has played in two games at the minor league level this season.

Latest On Andreas Athanasiou’s Trade Market

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Last night during the Chicago Blackhawks-Montreal Canadiens game, TSN aired their latest “Insider Trading” segment featuring Bob McKenzie and Pierre LeBrun. In it, McKenzie explains that since there has been no movement between the Detroit Red Wings and restricted free agent Andreas Athanasiou, teams have started to call to ask about the young forward.

Though he makes it clear that Detroit is not shopping Athanasiou, they are listening to the offers with a specific price in mind. That price—another young forward with similar offensive potential—seems almost impossible to meet at this point. Though nothing seems imminent, Athanasiou has to sign somewhere in the league before December 1st, or forfeit his entire season. The Red Wings would maintain their rights over the 23-year old.

It is interesting that the Red Wings would be willing to listen. Despite yesterday’s 4-2 loss to the Dallas Stars, the team has gotten off to a better start than many expected, riding solid goaltending to two wins in their first two games. Should that success continue, it will be a lot harder to pull the trigger and start selling off assets for an inevitable rebuild. Athanasiou is right on the border of being a key piece to build around, or an asset to sell off. If he continues his holdout, he may find himself slipping into the latter category.

Atlantic Notes: Athanasiou, Turris, Pickard

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Although the Red Wings aren’t shopping unsigned winger Andreas Athanasiou, they are listening to trade offers for him, reports Craig Custance of The Athletic (subscription required).  However, they have set a high asking price for the 23-year-old as Custance notes that Detroit is seeking a top-four defenseman or a young center in return.

Athanasiou and the Red Wings continue to be far apart in contract talks in both one-year and two-year offers.  With no resolution on the horizon, the winger has now flown to Switzerland to begin skating with HC Lugano of the NLA and while there is no contract in place to play yet, his presence over there will only fuel the trade speculation even further.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • With the report earlier in the week that the Senators and center Kyle Turris aren’t close on a contract extension and that a trade could be a possibility, Postmedia’s Don Brennan speculates that the report may have stemmed from a rival general manager as neither the team nor Turris benefits from this coming out this early. Turris is no stranger to a contract squabble having had a holdout with the Coyotes in the past but considering it’s only October, it’s far too early to call this situation another one.  However, it’s likely that he will be looking for a long-term deal given the demand for centers out there so if Ottawa wants to keep him around, they may have to go more years than they’d prefer to.
  • After acquiring goaltender Calvin Pickard on Friday, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston suggests that he’s not a candidate to stay as a third-string goaltender with the Maple Leafs for too long which could have Curtis McElhinney’s roster spot in jeopardy. Pickard is nine years younger and has a decent NHL track record despite playing on a subpar Colorado team so while McElhinney has a two-year contract in tow, that might not be enough to keep him on the roster and off the waiver wire once Pickard gets some games in at the AHL level.

Andreas Athanasiou Heading To Switzerland

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Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent forward Andreas Athanasiou remains unsigned… for now. The latest news on the league’s last remaining RFA comes from TSN’s Bob McKenzie, who shares that Athanasiou is on his way to Switzerland to skate with HC Lugano of the NLA. McKenzie was quick to add that Athanasiou has not signed Lugano and is still evaluating his options, but his commitment to going overseas for the time being raises more doubts that he will suit up in the NHL this season.

A recent poll revealed that most fans felt Athanasiou and former holdout Josh Anderson would each re-sign with their respective teams. The second most popular answer was that the pair would both play overseas. Anderson has done his part to prove true the majority, re-upping with the Columbus Blue Jackets, but Athanasiou has not made any similar progress with Detroit and seems more likely to join in the dissenting opinion. Interestingly, it was Anderson who had been connected to the NLA this off-season, with Athanasiou reportedly fielding offers from the KHL. Athanasiou may still end up in Russia, but with an influx of talent heading to the NLA in recent years and the the past success of Lugano, who has not missed the playoffs in six years, the team is far from a poor fit. Athanasiou would be skating alongside former Red Wing Damien Brunner, as well as NHL veterans Maxim Lapierre and Bobby Sanguinetti should he sign with Lugano and the talented group could very well make a title run in 2017-18.

Still, the best thing for Athanasiou and for hockey is for the skilled 23-year-old to stay in North America. In just his second NHL season, the young center scored 18 goals and defied expectations for a Detroit team with few bright spots. The Red Wings may not want to overpay – in salary or term – for Athanasiou, who did have an unsustainable 15% shooting percentage in 2016-17 and is only in the early stages of developing a defensive game, but the best decision is always to work things out. Just ask the Dallas Stars, who missed the playoffs last season and had to go on a spending spree this summer in hopes of righting the ship. They would love to have Valeri Nichushkin back, the talented young winger who left the team in the summer of 2016 to head to the KHL, where he remains, after failing to come to terms in restricted free agency. Maybe the Red Wings would rather trade Athanasiou or maybe they’ll realize their mistake and work out a contract. Either way, there seems to be little upside to simply losing the scoring youth for this season (or longer). Athanasiou skating with Lugano may just be the straw that finally breaks Ken Holland’s back.

 

No Progress In Contract Talks For Andreas Athanasiou

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Although the Red Wings have been in contact with Andreas Athanasiou’s agent over the last few days, the GM told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan, that nothing has changed with regards to the stalemate in negotiations.  Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris also told Khan that there is nothing to update at this time.

Detroit made a pair of offers to the 23-year-old restricted free agent earlier in the offseason.  They tabled a one-year offer worth $1.25MM that would allow him to return to restricted free agency next summer with arbitration eligibility where he could possibly have more leverage to yield a bigger salary.  They’ve also offered him a two-year pact with an AAV of $1.9MM.

Andreas AthanasiouHowever, Athanasiou is believed to still be seeking $2.5MM per season which means there is still a pretty large gap to bridge.  Ferris revealed back in August that the winger had a KHL offer on the table and while he wouldn’t reveal the specifics financially, it was suggested that it was worth more than what the Red Wings have offered.

Athanasiou is coming off of a strong season that saw him record 18 goals and 11 assists in just 64 games.  However, this was also his only year that he was a full-time NHL player so his track record is still pretty small.  The team is likely using comparables such as Toronto winger Connor Brown (three years, $2.1MM), Columbus winger Josh Anderson (who just signed a three year, $5.55MM deal on Monday), and Vancouver winger Sven Baertschi (two years, $3.7MM).  Those players all were coming off similar seasons to Athanasiou without any sort of long-term track record of NHL production.

With the season getting underway today, this will be the first day where Athanasiou is leaving money on the table by not being under contract.  If he is to play in the NHL at all in 2017-18, the two sides will need to reach an agreement on a new deal by December 1st.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Snapshots: Pittsburgh, Whitney, Ducks

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The Pittsburgh Penguins have been tied to the Detroit Red Wings for some time, with rumors swirling around Riley Sheahan and Andreas Athanasiou as potential trade candidates. Athanasiou remains unsigned, and as Elliotte Friedman reports in his latest “31 Thoughts” for Sportsnet, the Penguins have seemingly moved on.

Pittsburgh has been after a new third-line center for some time, with GM Jim Rutherford last saying they had three targets in mind. One of the rumored names, Jordan Staal, appears to be off the table as Friedman writes that Carolina had “no interest” in moving the two-way forward. Staal obviously has ties to Pittsburgh after beginning his career there, but the Penguins will have to look elsewhere to fill their needs. For now, Greg McKegg has been practicing between Carl Hagelin and Tom Kuhnhackl on the third line, with Carter Rowney centering the fourth.

  • The Department of Player Safety has made another intriguing hire, adding veteran NHLer Ray Whitney to the team. Whitney is a completely different kind of player than George Parros, who now runs the department, and will offer a very different insight into discipline around the league. Whitney scored 1,064 points in 1.330 games in the NHL, and received regular votes for the Lady Byng trophy which rewards sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct.
  • Patrick Eaves and Ryan Miller will both start the season on injured reserve according to Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register, making it a crowded list for the Anaheim Ducks. With Ryan Kesler, Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen already there, the team could ill afford any other injuries. Eaves and Miller are both on the back half of their careers at ages 33 and 37 respectively, which obviously brings this kind of injury risk along with it. Signing the pair was meant to give the Ducks some depth at key positions, but now with so many injuries the team will start without any at all. At practice today Nick Ritchie skated with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry on the top line, a trio that will be relied heavily upon until some of their other players get back.

Detroit Red Wings To Start Season With Just 22 Players

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The Detroit Red Wings have been right up against, or projected over the salary cap all offseason. Since bringing in Trevor Daley and Luke Witkowski in free agency, the team has admitted they would likely have to make a move to become cap compliant on day one of the season. Injuries could have solved that for them, but now according to Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press the team plans on carrying just 20 skaters and two goaltenders into the start of the regular season. That’s leaving one empty roster spot in order to become cap compliant.

Detroit currently projects to be $3.72MM over the cap according to CapFriendly, but will be placing Johan Franzen and his $3.95MM cap hit on long-term injured reserve. That will allow them to get under the limit, but still doesn’t give them much room to work with, especially if a deal is made with Andreas Athanasiou at some point. The Red Wings don’t project to have much success this year already, and now it seems like they’re starting behind the eight ball to begin the year.

With Tyler Bertuzzi and Evgeny Svechnikov both on injured reserve as well after sustaining injuries in camp, it looks like newly signed David Booth will be in the lineup to start the year despite being placed on waivers this afternoon. After adding his $700K, the team doesn’t have any room to bring up another roster player. While none of this affects the way the Red Wings will ice a lineup each night, it’s a hard way to start the year. Chasing the cap all season puts them at a disadvantage in trade negotiations, while also making it difficult to bring back Athanasiou even if an agreement is reached. The team still could need to make a trade to help them out in the coming days.

The Red Wings start their season Thursday night against the Minnesota Wild.

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