I have, you just don't like it. Athanasiou (and Mantha) are incredibly talented. They are also incredibly inconsistent. Putting up an assist or a goal or going -4 isn't indicative of either player's deserving 12 minutes or 20 minutes on any particular night.
Athanasiou scoring a goal while getting twelve minutes of ice time is because he's skilled enough to pounce on that single opportunity and make it count. It doesn't mean he's playing well enough to warrant 20 minutes on that particular night.
And it's no surprise that the two guys getting shuttled back and forth are the two guys with the biggest disparities between their natural skill level and their ability/willingness to show up every night. What's Blashill doing? He's trying to get them to eliminate more of their lows and be those 20 minute players they are capable of being more often.
Want a couple of reasons for them not playing 18-20 minutes a night, every night, all season? It's Athanasiou and Mantha. They are the reasons.
I disagree.
You've complete bought into the BS narratives about these guys, and it's not very fair at all to either player.
If you take an honest look at Dylan Larkin, from February of his rookie year to about March of his sophomore year, he was brutal.
Awful.
Like - he didn't belong in the NHL.
93 games 18-9-8 -35 from Feb. 10 2016 to March 1 2017.
This isn't playing 10-12 minutes a night.
This is playing 16-18 minutes a night.
But as he aimlessly skated around his own zone, failing to pick up guys as they skated and scored, never once did Blashill criticize him in the media.
You know what his lowest icetime was -- besides the game he got hurt? He had four games in the 11-12 minute range.
What does Blashill do? He sings his praises, non stop. Even though, clearly, he'd stopped skating the way he skated early in his career.
He stopped shooting the puck they way he did.
And yet, never once did Blash say, "We need Larkin to skate and shoot and play the way he can."
Instead, he praised Larkin - built his confidence. Invited him to the World Championships and gave him big minutes there.
Do I think Athanasiou and Mantha hustle the same way Larkin does?
No.
But I also think the constant questioning of their heart, character and effort is wrong-headed.
And I think Blashill is doing more to harm their development than help their development.
These guys should be taking a regular shift in the top 6.
Larkin-Athanasiou-Mantha should be getting 17-20 minutes a night.
If that means Tyler Bertuzzi plays on line 4, oh well.