Edmonton Oilers are likely moving on from Andreas Athanasiou
Andreas Athanasiou’s tenure with the Edmonton Oilers is almost indefinitely over.
At the 2020 NHL trade deadline, the Edmonton Oilers made several moves. The biggest one, at least in terms of what the Oilers gave up, was acquiring Andreas Athanasiou from the Detroit Red Wings. Edmonton surrendered two second-round picks – one in 2020, the other in 2021 – for the talented winger.
The Oilers were probably expecting to keep him around for a while at the time. Though he was scheduled to become a restricted free agent, surely his $3 million qualifying offer wouldn’t be bad, right?
However, the pandemic threw a monkey wrench into the world of sports. Among its effects are a flat $81.5 million salary cap ceiling for the 2020-21 NHL season and teams losing money. For those two reasons, along with an unimpressive tenure with the Oilers, the Oilers are parting ways with Athanasiou.
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Multiple sources have confirmed this, but here’s what Frank Servalli of TSN had to say in a recent radio appearance.
"“It’s really the $3 million qualifying offer that’s throwing a wrench into things. If Athanasiou’s camp were to come back and say… we would be amenable to signing for less, the Oilers would be listening. But it’s clear that isn’t the case”"
In nine regular season games with the Oilers, Athanasiou put up two points, a goal and an assist, in nine games. He added zero points in four postseason games, as the Oilers lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in the play-in round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
According to Natural Stat Trick, his most common linemates at 5v5 during the postseason were Kailer Yamamoto, Riley Sheahan, and Leon Draisaitl. During the regular season with the Oilers, they were Sheahan, Connor McDavid, and Tyler Ennis.
Edmonton was hoping Athanasiou could provide their forward core with some more scoring. However, he was never really a fit and his defensive concerns far outweighed what he brought to the table on offense.
There’s a slight chance the Oilers could bring him back at a cheaper price, but at the same time, even during these tough times, it’s not hard to see Athanasiou finding a team willing to give him $3 million a year, even if it’s on a one-year deal.
Athanasiou scored 11 goals with 26 points last season in 55 games. However, it’s worth pointing out he’s merely a year removed from scoring 30 goals with 54 points. Athanasiou clearly has defensive issues, but he can push the puck up the ice and he has a history of scoring goals. That should be enough to get him a $3 million offer from somewhere.
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However, Athanasiou is at a bit of a crossroads in his career. He has shown immense potential, but at 26 years old, he’s approaching the age when players tend to be what they are. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Athanasiou has trouble finding anything more than a one-year or two-year deal. He’s simply not consistent enough to give a long-term deal too. Or maybe even a mid-term deal.