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Andreas Athanasiou will see a heavier workload with the Detroit Red Wings

By Bob Heyrman

DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 24: Andreas Athanasiou #72 of the Detroit Red Wings follows the play against the San Jose Sharks during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on February 24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. San Jose defeated Detroit 5-3. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 24: Andreas Athanasiou #72 of the Detroit Red Wings follows the play against the San Jose Sharks during an NHL game at Little Caesars Arena on February 24, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. San Jose defeated Detroit 5-3. (Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Hopefully Andreas Athanasiou has a generous appetite for the remaining 18 games of the 2018 Detroit Red Wings season.  Expect Athanasiou to get a heftier workload moving forward.

After the Detroit Red Wings parted ways with veteran forward Gus Nyquist at the NHL trade deadline, it leaves a critical role in the lineup that needs to be filled.  Nyquist was a top-six forward all season long, now the team will be looking for someone to fill his shoes or shall I say skates moving forward.

Andreas Athanasiou is having a career year but has often been skating on the Wings third line with Luke Glendening and Darren Helm in recent weeks leading up to the trade deadline.  He plays with more skilled forwards on the top power-play unit, but he’s been the only offensive threat on that third line.

Athanasiou has struggled in his own zone often throughout his young career and this season has been no different.  If you focus on him rather than the puck while the play is rooted in the Wings zone, he tends to float towards the blueline hoping for a breakaway pass.

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He’s such a gifted skater if he would buy into playing a 200-foot game he could really improve as a player and his value would take another critical step forward.  He’s proven he can score; he’s posted career highs in goals (22), points (39)  and ice-time 16:21 TOI per game.

Jeff Blashill has mentioned Andreas Athanasiou will play primarily as a center the rest of the season.  I had written a month or more ago that I’d like to see him play down the middle because it would create more space for him to utilize his speed.  The problem was he wasn’t working hard enough in his own zone, leaving some of his teammates out to dry.  He’s also flat out atrocious in the faceoff circle.  He’s only 36% successful this season on draws.  Not everyone will be above 50%, but he needs to at the very least be above 40%.

In recent weeks I’ve retreated with my opinion of allowing him to play down the middle because of the issues described in the previous paragraph.  Blashill wants to use him down the middle because he knows how critical it is to have elite type talent down the middle of the lineup.  He wants to have Larkin and Athanasiou as a one-two punch in the future.

With Nyquist gone someone needs to chew up more minutes, and Athanasiou should be playing around 19 on a nightly basis.  Michael Rasmussen should see a boost in minutes as well.  The rookie won’t have the chance to help the Griffins in the playoffs, so his season will end in 18 games with the Detroit Red Wings.  This is a perfect time to play the youngster down the stretch.

I would suggest leaving Athanasiou on the wing with Nielsen and consider elevating Zadina to that line while he’s here.  Zadina, of course, will be heading back to Grand Rapids in a week or so, but while he’s here, I’d like to have a look at him playing with skilled players rather than grinders.

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The hope is; with a little lottery luck, the Detroit Red Wings can land Jack Hughes and immediately insert him into the lineup as the second center.  Imagine a top line of Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha and coming back with Athanasiou-Hughes-Zadina.  Wouldn’t that be exciting?  Fingers crossed.

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