Speculation: Athanasiou Part 2

[lhsgolf19]

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 1h1 hour ago
Wings GM Ken Holland to Free Press re: RFA Andreas Athanasiou: "We’ve had lots of conversations ....I am not negotiating against the KHL."

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 54m54 minutes ago
KH negotiating against NHL comparable players for Athanasiou, not KHL offer.
KHL offer been on table for weeks & Athanasiou yet to take...

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 50m50 minutes ago
KHL offer been on table for weeks & he has yet to take it. I'd be surprised if he leaves. Best for development to play in NHL.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

But does the Olympics mean as much when you aren't playing the best of the best?

Yes. Gold Medal still counts as gold medal.

If AA was worried about playing best of the best... he'd have signed now and be playing in the NHL this year.

 

[TCNorthstars]

Yes. Gold Medal still counts as gold medal.

If AA was worried about playing best of the best... he'd have signed now and be playing in the NHL this year.

Or if he was worried about playing in the Olympics and making $$$ he would have signed now and be playing in the KHL.

Instead, he is sitting on the fence watching the grass grow.

 

[Pavels Dog]

From 31 Thoughts by Friedman

Playing on the Wings or playing in the Olympics?

A handful of games in a glorified World Championships for the price of living in Russia for a year, or playing in the NHL and making significantly more progress in his development and his contract status (getting him closer to big money)?

Such a difficult choice.

 

[GBFP]

Playing for a GM who tried to low ball you versus playing for a GM who offered you double what you'd get in the NHL from even a fair offer?

Playing on a top line in the KHL or being buried behind greybeards on Blashill's bench.

That Russia money is tax free as well.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Playing for a GM who tried to low ball you versus playing for a GM who offered you double what you'd get in the NHL from even a fair offer?

Playing on a top line in the KHL or being buried behind greybeards on Blashill's bench.

That Russia money is tax free as well.

He is a Canadian citizen, he will be taxed for that income.

 

[vladdy16]

You and Kenny share the same decease.
It's called delusion.
Magically hoping for some serious LTIR injuries in Training camp to desperately clear cap space is NOT a plan.

Want to make a bet that the Red Wings will/won't be cap compliant with a full lineup on opening day?

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Playing for a GM who tried to low ball you versus playing for a GM who offered you double what you'd get in the NHL from even a fair offer?

Playing on a top line in the KHL or being buried behind greybeards on Blashill's bench.

That Russia money is tax free as well.

Yeah, KH hasn't been low balling Athanasiou. 1.25 for one year you might consider a lowball, but it accelerates the arbitration rights, so he'd probably be in line for closer to 2.5-3 next year in arb if he's worth all this rigamarole that we're going through about him. And guess what... 1.25 + 3 = 4.25. Which is the same as 2.1M over two years or more than 1.9 for two years.

1.25m for one and 1.9m for two are actually pretty fair offers.

AA has an idiot for an agent that is going to cost him money, if not now, then several years down the line. He goes to KHL, he better tear it up, because he's facing down an awful contract when he returns if he doesn't.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I don't see AA leaving. It seems like he and his agent tried to put a bluff with a KHL offer, Holland called it, and now AA is standing in limbo for some reason expecting KH to change his offer.

It's either that or AA really does not want to play for the organization, so much so he is willing to hurt his own development for it. At this point it is all on him.

 

[Vatican Roulette]

I don't see AA leaving. It seems like he and his agent tried to put a bluff with a KHL offer, Holland called it, and now AA is standing in limbo for some reason expecting KH to change his offer.

It's either that or AA really does not want to play for the organization, so much so he is willing to hurt his own development for it. At this point it is all on him.

I wonder when the trade request comes out.

I don't think he wants to play in Detroit. Just MO.

 

[Winger98]

Yeah, KH hasn't been low balling Athanasiou. 1.25 for one year you might consider a lowball, but it accelerates the arbitration rights, so he'd probably be in line for closer to 2.5-3 next year in arb if he's worth all this rigamarole that we're going through about him. And guess what... 1.25 + 3 = 4.25. Which is the same as 2.1M over two years or more than 1.9 for two years.

1.25m for one and 1.9m for two are actually pretty fair offers.

AA has an idiot for an agent that is going to cost him money, if not now, then several years down the line. He goes to KHL, he better tear it up, because he's facing down an awful contract when he returns if he doesn't.

Do you honestly see Holland moving far from the offers on the table regardless of whether or not Athanasiou goes to Russia? I don't. And for the one year deal to pay off, Athanasiou would probably have to see some big changes up front on the Wings. He could be buried as far down as 8-10 on the forward depth chart, he's unlikely to see any power play time, and even if a forward goes down for a long bit of time the first call up for a top9 spot is Svechnikov, someone I can easily see the Wings jumping Athanasiou with to instant powerplay/top6 time if the spot is there.

Could Athanasiou go out and put up nearly 20 goals again while playing 13-14 minutes a night in the bottom6 with no power play time? He could, but I have to think the odds are against it. That gets even less likely if Holland managed to also ink Parenteau.

I wonder when the trade request comes out.

I don't think he wants to play in Detroit. Just MO.

Yeah, I'm sorta expecting it, too. His not signing yet is just odd, considering I doubt his offers are going to change any. What I don't like is this Athanasiou thing on pause while new rumors crop up of Holland maybe looking to move someone, that Sheahan is out there, etc. I'd rather just let Athanasiou play in Russia than give up early on a guy like Sheahan while unlikely getting much of a return.

 

[crashnburnluder]

But does the Olympics mean as much when you aren't playing the best of the best?

agreed, an Olympic gold medal is always a great thing, but winning it in a year when the best athletes aren't there seems like a giant Astrik. I hate the NHL for taking NHLers out of it, the dumbest thing they could do, it was the best publicity our sport got but that's another story.

AA will end up in Detroit, if the money was that good in Russia, and he was that okay with going there, he would already be there. He can bluff for another week before he starts hurting his value and his overall play by missing camp.

 

[jkutswings]

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 1h1 hour ago
Wings GM Ken Holland to Free Press re: RFA Andreas Athanasiou: "We’ve had lots of conversations ....I am not negotiating against the KHL."

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 54m54 minutes ago
KH negotiating against NHL comparable players for Athanasiou, not KHL offer.
KHL offer been on table for weeks & Athanasiou yet to take...

Helene St. James‏Verified account @HeleneStJames 50m50 minutes ago
KHL offer been on table for weeks & he has yet to take it. I'd be surprised if he leaves. Best for development to play in NHL.

Regardless of what happens with AA, it's ironic that Holland publicly draws a line on negotiating against another league...yet has negotiated against himself more than once.

But let him walk. It's better for what I want for the team, and one less distraction during the season.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I wonder when the trade request comes out.

I don't think he wants to play in Detroit. Just MO.

These things happen every year with some RFAs. While it's possible he doesn't want to play in Detroit, it's more likely that it's just about money. Signing a 1/2-year deal and then requesting a trade quietly would likely get the job done FAR faster and more smoothly than being difficult in a long contract negotiation.

 

[Winger98]

Yes. Gold Medal still counts as gold medal.

If AA was worried about playing best of the best... he'd have signed now and be playing in the NHL this year.

Yeah, and it's not like NHLers have always been in the Olympics. I still remember seeing Forsberg in the '94 Olympics and it was pretty special. If anything, I think I enjoyed Olympic hockey more before the NHL got involved.

 

[jkutswings]

Yeah, and it's not like NHLers have always been in the Olympics. I still remember seeing Forsberg in the '94 Olympics and it was pretty special. If anything, I think I enjoyed Olympic hockey more before the NHL got involved.

To each his own, I guess. Without NHL players, I won't even watch Olympic hockey, and that was far and away the biggest event that motivated me to watch the Olympics at all. But money wins out again, I suppose.

 

[jolly roger]

I wonder when the trade request comes out.

I don't think he wants to play in Detroit. Just MO.

I've never seen anything but good things about Detroit from AA. My guess is he'd love playing for Detroit.

Less so for Blabhill.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

A handful of games in a glorified World Championships for the price of living in Russia for a year, or playing in the NHL and making significantly more progress in his development and his contract status (getting him closer to big money)?

Such a difficult choice.

You say that as a joke, but the players have clearly indicated how important the Olympics are to them and to their sense of national pride.

 

[ricky0034]

You say that as a joke, but the players have clearly indicated how important the Olympics are to them and to their sense of national pride.

maybe to some of them

can't be that important overall or they would have pushed for it in the CBA negotiations

funny how we didn't hear anything about it back then from the players that are so vocal about it now even though it was known at the time that not going was at least a serious possibility

 

[Ezekial]

Regardless of what happens with AA, it's ironic that Holland publicly draws a line on negotiating against another league...yet has negotiated against himself more than once.

But let him walk. It's better for what I want for the team, and one less distraction during the season.

It sets a terrible precedent. No GM in the league should/would do it unless it was an elite player, definitely not a middling no arbitration RFA.

 

[Henkka]

When Jiri Hudler was getting these 5M tax free offers from KHL and signed there with that sum, Holland should have outbid the offer...

Nicklas Lidström earned then 4.6M after taxes.

So Holland should have negotiated against another league at outbid that with an +8M offer for Hudler. Then he would have been a good GM.

But he was a bad GM, and let Hudler go.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

When Jiri Hudler was getting these 5M tax free offers from KHL and signed there with that sum, Holland should have outbid the offer...

Nicklas Lidström earned then 4.6M after taxes.

So Holland should have negotiated against another league at outbid that with an +8M offer for Hudler. Then he would have been a good GM.

But he was a bad GM, and let Hudler go.

You're doing a great job refuting an argument no one is making.

 

[Grimm]

Am I alone in almost NOT wanting AA to come back at this point? He's pulling this KHL stunt crap and seemingly making demands and being a stickler like he's freaking Sidney Crosby. Kind of rubs me the wrong way.

If he doesn't want to play for Blashill then just ask for a trade and move on. Instead he's playing this dollar/Russia garbage up like the whole world needs to be drawn to him. Self-centered and arrogant honestly...

 

[Grimm]

When Jiri Hudler was getting these 5M tax free offers from KHL and signed there with that sum, Holland should have outbid the offer...

Nicklas Lidström earned then 4.6M after taxes.

So Holland should have negotiated against another league at outbid that with an +8M offer for Hudler. Then he would have been a good GM.

But he was a bad GM, and let Hudler go.

The point is that Ken Holland got them into cap hell. Because of cap hell he maybe can not overpay AA by an extra few hundred thousand, where maybe he'd be signed, and the extra 300k wouldn't make or break us cap wise but AA would be happy with a new Bentley.

No one is blaming him for not doing this garbage KHL vs. NHL and paying him a million more than he's worth. Everyone is blaming him for putting us in this situation where a MINIMAL overpayment may have kept our young electric player and maybe less tension.

 

[ricky0034]

I don't blame Holland for not outbidding the KHL


I DO blame Holland for not arriving at a fair offer until freaking September and inadvertently creating this situation

there's no reason it should have ever gotten to this point to begin with