Andreas Athanasiou Is the Undisputed Standout In Red Wings Preseason
By Nick Seguin
5 years agoSince the announcement of Henrik Zetterberg’s retirement, Red Wings management and coaching have repeatedly said how big of a hole this leaves in the lineup and how it’s up to the remaining players to fill that gap. More than one player is going to have to step up and shoulder this burden.
Everyone expected it to be Dylan Larkin and, through six preseason games, there’s no doubt that Larkin has answered the call. The other player who’s really stepped up his game is Andreas Athanasiou.
Athanasiou may be the most polarizing player on the Detroit Red Wings roster. Over the last two seasons, AA has shown flashes of brilliance with his unmitigated speed and silky smooth hands. The goals he scores are, more often than not, highlight reel markers worthy of replay across all sports-highlight programs. Half of the fanbase loves this and some would go as far as to call AA’s skill elite.
But there has been an inconsistency to AA’s game. His defensive efforts in the past have been uninspiring, at times earning him a spot in the press box to watch the game from above. The natural centre has mostly been played on the wing until he could learn to backcheck effectively and play a more responsible game. Add to that his public comments of wanting more ice time and a contract holdout that lasted until two weeks into the 2017-18 season and AA has become more of a liability to the other half of the fanbase.
Often the speculation of trade bait, Athanasiou has a lot to prove coming into the 2018-19 season. With Zetterberg’s departure, he’s being given an added responsibility as he’s moved back to his natural position to center the third line. It’s a sign of trust from head coach Jeff Blashill.
So far, Athanasiou has returned the favour to his coach as he’s been the biggest standout of the Red Wings pre-season so far. In the Wings’ six preseason games, AA has played in three of them and scored a team-leading four goals and six points. Paired most prominently with Thomas Vanek, AA’s vision and speed have been on display.
And it’s been more than just his skating speed. In his three games, Athanasiou has shown a speed of transition and puck movement. His instincts and reflexes are much quicker on the ice. And, his ever-ailing defensive game has shown signs of improvement as he’s been active all over the ice.
“He’s been great from day one at camp,” Blashill said to Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News. “His first practice, he was excellent. He was excited to be on a line with Thomas (Vanek), and they’ve been dynamic together. They think the game at a high level. They track like crazy. They’ve competed defensively. Anybody I’ve put with them has been good.”
It’s no secret that Blashill isn’t afraid to dish out criticism to his young players. He’s a hard coach to impress so words like these mean a lot.
Athanasiou has been deflecting the complements, instead, he has been passing kudos on to his teammates. “Every team that we put on the ice is coming out and playing really hard, making a lot of good plays to win games,” he said to Krupa.
Certainly, his confidence is enjoying a nice little surge and it couldn’t come at a better time for the Red Wings who will be relying heavily on him, Larkin, and Anthony Mantha to fill the scoring gap left by Zetterberg.
“I’ll do my best to step up for that. It’s an opportunity for a lot of guys, as well.”
With a team like this facing a season like this, Athanasiou can’t just rely on the performance of his teammates. He needs to take the bull by the horns and play to his maximum potential.
It’s only the preseason, but so far he’s answered the call. The real test is yet to come.
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