Andreas Athanasiou

[Oddbob]

I personally think the KHL offer thing, is just negotiating tactics by the agent, because they want more money.

However if true, and AA is considering it, good riddance! If he signs in the KHL, he clearly didn't care to be here, or to actually prove anything. So far all he has proven, is the abilty to score 4 or 5 highlight reel goals, followed by trying to skate through 5 defenders every time, with little success, and not really bringing it in any other area. Instead of bellyaching about icetime or usage, play so well, you force the coach to play you. If Pavel Datsyuk got 5-10 minutes a night, he would bust his but, so that coach would be a clear fool not to play him. AA so far, hasn't proven he is worth 15-20 minutes a night. USE YOUR TEAMMATES, and PLAY HARD EACH SHIFT!

 

[Shaman464]

Holland is an embarrassment of a GM.

We are a bottom 5 team, in salary cap hell, and now we can't even sign our young, good players because there is so much money wasted on grinders and bottom pair D. If he leaves it's a disgrace. I'm embarrassed to be a fan of this team. I honestly hope we struggle to sell tickets at LCA, so it forces the owners to make drastic changes. This is ridiculous.

As for AA, I honestly can't blame him. I obviously don't know the details, but I'd have to guess he is asking for ~3 mil per year, which is fair value, yet is getting offered some bs contract of 2.6 over 2 years.

Actually 3 million would be more than fair market value. Others have pointed to RFAs who have had the same number of games/points that play positions like center or D that have gotten around 2.5 in the last couple off seasons. A two year bridge of 2.5 would have been exactly fair for a winger with around 40 points in around 100 games.

 

[Ezekial]

Actually 3 million would be more than fair market value. Others have pointed to RFAs who have had the same number of games/points that play positions like center or D that have gotten around 2.5 in the last couple off seasons. A two year bridge of 2.5 would have been exactly fair for a winger with around 40 points in around 100 games.

Riley Sheahan scored .43 ppg over his first 199 games and received a 2x2

edit: I don't want to compare their skills or anything like that, and in his first 2 seasons Sheahan received considerable PP time, but he played center in all situations at that point.

 

[Shaman464]

Riley Sheahan scored .43 ppg over his first 199 games and received a 2x2

edit: I don't want to compare their skills or anything like that, and in his second season Sheahan receive considerable PP time, but he played center in all situations through those years.

Honestly, I think up to what Tatar got would be fair. Anything 3 or north is an overreach by AA.

 

[Lgw]

If he goes it will hopefully be the final nail in Holland's coffin.

 

[Martinez]

Never understood that Daley signing. AA would be pretty sick in the KHL

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

As moronic as Kenny may be with contracts, AA is not going to the KHL. Even if he did we would still have his RFA rights when he decides he wants to return to the NHL.

It is very embarrassing but a deal will get done.

 

[Henkka]

Riley Sheahan scored .43 ppg over his first 199 games and received a 2x2

edit: I don't want to compare their skills or anything like that, and in his first 2 seasons Sheahan received considerable PP time, but he played center in all situations at that point.

They are not comparable RFAs. At that point of career game amount experience is valued a lot. If you have under 100 NHL games under your belt, you won't have much bargaining power.

This happens with every contract. It's a formula.

 

[avssuc]

As moronic as Kenny may be with contracts, AA is not going to the KHL. Even if he did we would still have his RFA rights when he decides he wants to return to the NHL.

It is very embarrassing but a deal will get done.

Agreed. One would hope that this puts ownership into the market for a new front office, to go with (year two) of the new barn. Let Ken take his farewell tour, even if it's 6 years too late... but search the league for the person best suited to deal with this dumpster-fire.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Whoa, people are really freaking out over this?

Gotta love the offseason. AA got a KHL offer, uses it as leverage. News at 11. The chances he'll actually go to the KHL and play have to be considered slim at best.

And if he actually goes over there.. good for him. Let him be a star in the KHL and olympics for a year. Help us get a top 5 draft pick. Then come back.

 

[jolly roger]

As moronic as Kenny may be with contracts, AA is not going to the KHL. Even if he did we would still have his RFA rights when he decides he wants to return to the NHL.

It is very embarrassing but a deal will get done.

I hope a deal gets done, but I don't think the agent Darren Ferris (who was the guy who got AA out of London in the OHL and over to Barrie) would confirm that KHL offer unless he was frustrated by Holland's tactics and less than even a market offer. If AA wanted out he'd already be gone as the KHL money is likely several times whatever Holland is offering.

 

[Filppula]

If we don't have AA this season, I'm cancelling my NHL live subscription.

 

[Winger98]

Whoa, people are really freaking out over this?

Gotta love the offseason. AA got a KHL offer, uses it as leverage. News at 11. The chances he'll actually go to the KHL and play have to be considered slim at best.

And if he actually goes over there.. good for him. Let him be a star in the KHL and olympics for a year. Help us get a top 5 draft pick. Then come back.

Depends on the money they give him. And our cap situation isn't necessarily a lot better next year having to re-sign Mantha, Larkin, Sheahan, and Mrazek while (ideally) finding a replacement for Green.

Personally, don't want to get too bent out of shape with until Athanasiou actually signs something, but still have to wonder how much of this could have been avoided just by not signing Daley.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Gotta love jumping through hoops to get a bottom dweller under the cap. What a roster.

 

[TCNorthstars]

Hahahahaha. KHL. Good work Red Wings. He probably will earn more for a year over in the KHL and have a heap ton more ice time.

Time for KH to step up and fix this ****. This is worse than an offer sheet.

Perhaps you want to have a look at the top 10 salaries in The KHL before waxing poetic on AA making more in Russia.

 

[Ezekial]

They are not comparable RFAs. At that point of career game amount experience is valued a lot. If you have under 100 NHL games under your belt, you won't have much bargaining power.

This happens with every contract. It's a formula.

I think we're arguing the same point.

 

[Frk It]

Whoa, people are really freaking out over this?

Gotta love the offseason. AA got a KHL offer, uses it as leverage. News at 11. The chances he'll actually go to the KHL and play have to be considered slim at best.

And if he actually goes over there.. good for him. Let him be a star in the KHL and olympics for a year. Help us get a top 5 draft pick. Then come back.

One of the few young entertaining players this team has is threatening to sign and play in another league, and that's NBD?

Edit -- Talking about more from a watching/entertainment POV, I agree that in the bigger picture it wouldn't have as much of an impact... but AA is one of those guys I think are truly fun to watch.

 

[Dotter]

Whoa, people are really freaking out over this?

Gotta love the offseason. AA got a KHL offer, uses it as leverage. News at 11. The chances he'll actually go to the KHL and play have to be considered slim at best.

And if he actually goes over there.. good for him. Let him be a star in the KHL and olympics for a year. Help us get a top 5 draft pick. Then come back.

It's funny that the same people complaining about all the bad contracts KH made are the same people who are mad because Kenny Holland won't back the Brinks truck up to Athanasiou front porch and give him everything he demands.

funny how that works.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Honestly, I think up to what Tatar got would be fair. Anything 3 or north is an overreach by AA.

I don't think it would. Tatar in his similar RFA situation was just a better player than Athanasiou. 10 more points in similar minutes and just higher possession statistics all around. 2.5M should be the top end for AA.

 

[StargateSG1]

If he goes it will hopefully be the final nail in Holland's coffin.

How many "final nails" could there possibly be?

 

[StargateSG1]

It's funny that the same people complaining about all the bad contracts KH made are the same people who are mad because Kenny Holland won't back the Brinks truck up to Athanasiou front porch and give him everything he demands.

funny how that works.

Hard to pay the own RFA players when you were capped out at noon on July 1st, eh?

 

[Pavels Dog]

I have a feeling you'd be defending Holland even if he slept with your wife.

In this analogy, bashing Holland because AA has an offer from Russia is like having a fight with your wife because she made eye contact with some random guy.

One of the few young entertaining players this team has is threatening to sign and play in another league, and that's NBD?

"threatening"? Don't think he's doing that, nor do I think he'll go. And I'd be sad to see him miss an NHL season. But just saying worst case scenario here is we improve our chances at Dahlin.. isn't that what most want anyway?

It isn't, at all, like that. AA wouldn't have an offer from the KHL if he'd already been signed because the team had prioritized signing him over two non-additive FAs.

He's an RFA with no leverage (except the KHL, which is unlikely something AA actually wants). You don't prioritize him over guys that you actually miss out on if you don't sign them when they're available. Even if AA were to do the unlikely and actually goes to Russia, he's still under team control when he returns. AA isn't the difference between this team winning the cup or not this season, we have zero reason to do some kind of overpayment.

 

[njx9]

It's funny that the same people complaining about all the bad contracts KH made are the same people who are mad because Kenny Holland won't back the Brinks truck up to Athanasiou front porch and give him everything he demands.

funny how that works.

It's *almost* like there's a vast, vast difference in giving an RFA a bit more money on his two year deal, and giving Nielsen or Abbie lifetime contracts, or giving Daley a huge deal for no apparent reason. It's *almost* like's completely dishonest to bash people over the head with one, for their reaction to the other. Funny how that works.

Personally, don't want to get too bent out of shape with until Athanasiou actually signs something, but still have to wonder how much of this could have been avoided just by not signing Daley.

I think it's a nothing offer for leverage (though, if I were him, I'd be thinking about the RFA implications pretty seriously), but it's clear that the Daley signing was the absolute height of idiocy, this offseason, and just shows KH's utter ineptitude in the cap era, once again. A horrific contract, for a mediocre player, that pushed one of the worst teams back to the cap's edge again for no apparent reason.

In this analogy, bashing Holland because AA has an offer from Russia is like having a fight with your wife because she made eye contact with some random guy.

It isn't, at all, like that. AA wouldn't have an offer from the KHL if he'd already been signed because the team had prioritized signing him over two non-additive FAs.

 

[StargateSG1]

In this analogy, bashing Holland because AA has an offer from Russia is like having a fight with your wife because she made eye contact with some random guy.

Except that the eye contact is winking for the time well spent the prior night.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

meh. I'm sure AA and his agent are frustrated with the lack of progress on a deal. And I'm guessing that lack of progress is because Holland has once again painted himself into a corner with the cap and is playing the waiting game hoping someone is injured to start the season so he doesn't have to make a move.