Confirmed Signing with Link: [LAK] Andreas Athanasiou signs with the Kings (1 year, $1.2M)

[SimonEdvinssonAtSix]

I think one of your sentences contradicts the other there bud.

It was the entire point of my post. You just don't know the poster I was quoting.

 

[redcard]

Yeah, and what would be so great about 2 goals on 25 shots, given that he shoots less than 2 times every game? Also if you think he is going to be this great in tight presence, good on you, but I highly doubt it.

Precisely, if you take out the goals in the crease the argument for unsustainable shooting percentage goes away, and we're still impressed with his play.

It was the entire point of my post. You just don't know the poster I was quoting.

I'll take your word for it, to the casual reader it looks like cherry picking a stat and then criticizing someone else for cherry picking a stat.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

The goalposts have moved to a whole different country over the last page.

"wait till he drops from 40%"

"wait till he drops from 20%"

"wait until you re-sign him"

It's so funny because all we're saying is he's not a corpse and he's useful. He's not gonna get a long term contract or anything but he's proving to be a guy who will get a good contract which is pretty far from what was outlined earlier.

 

[bouncesonly]

Shooting percentage does matter though. If he was shooting his normal percentage he would have 4 goals, which is 2 less than he currently has. Also, as we have said he won't maintain his supposed "driving" to the net and engaged play, which is not even close to the way he plays.

Shooting percentage matters less for some players than others. Dustin Brown's shooting percentage is 20%, but all he's been doing is hanging out in front of the net, cleaning up rebounds or tipping in shots. 20% success rate for those attempts seems reasonable if you're decent enough at just doing that. It's not like he's sniping one timers from the dot or slapping in shots from the point.

You seem annoyed AA's not playing the way he "should" be playing or the way he was playing in Detroit.....almost like you can't accept players play differently for different teams. [MOD]

 

[kilowatt]

My expectations for Athanasiou were about the same as my expectations for Austin Wagner, and he's far, far surpassed them. Which is to say that he belongs in the NHL and has scored some pretty goals. He was hyped as such a horrible defensive player that my expectations couldn't have possibly been any lower. He's been fine defensively and pretty darn good offensively. Seems line a second line winger. More of a play driver than a guy like Toffoli, even, and definitely better than Pearson at his best. I like him, I hope we re-sign him to a reasonable contract, and I hope our forward prospects eventually push him down or off the roster. That's about it. If he's shooting 5, 10, 20, or 50%, I don't really care.

 

[Oddbob]

Shooting percentage matters less for some players than others. Dustin Brown's shooting percentage is 20%, but all he's been doing is hanging out in front of the net, cleaning up rebounds or tipping in shots. 20% success rate for those attempts seems reasonable if you're decent enough at just doing that. It's not like he's sniping one timers from the dot or slapping in shots from the point.

You seem annoyed AA's not playing the way he "should" be playing or the way he was playing in Detroit.....almost like you can't accept players play differently for different teams. And if he does regress, I suppose we'll hear a bunch of "lol I told you, i'm so right, suck my deek." I believe that's what progressives/sjw'ers call "toxic."

AA isn't Dustin Brown though. I also never said anywhere that players can't change. I just don't think AA has though is all I am saying, as 17 games is not that long of a stretch. The end of your second paragraph is completely unnecessary, as I have not used any demeaning words like that, and wasn't even close to being toxic.

 

[Uncle Scrooge]

My expectations for Athanasiou were about the same as my expectations for Austin Wagner

That's shocking to me, and really overall just how people forgot the man scored 30 goals 2 years ago.

I mean i can't blame a Kings fan who didn't see him a ton in Detroit, but his speed and skill will never go away and as long as the fit is there he'll produce, and his speed allows him to get to places quick enough the other way too.

 

[Oddbob]

The goalposts have moved to a whole different country over the last page.

"wait till he drops from 40%"

"wait till he drops from 20%"

"wait until you re-sign him"

It's so funny because all we're saying is he's not a corpse and he's useful. He's not gonna get a long term contract or anything but he's proving to be a guy who will get a good contract which is pretty far from what was outlined earlier.

I didn't move a single goal post, but continue using that HF popular phrase if that floats your boat I guess! Would you still be happy with AA if he got 3.5+ a year? Right now he is making peanuts so expectations are fair enough real low as so would mine. However IF he gets a 2-3 year deal for 3.5+ a year, I don't think you will be as impressed.

Maybe he has changed, not saying that can't be the case, but I think he is simply playing harder right now, cause he doesn't have a contract past this year.

 

[Oddbob]

That's shocking to me, and really overall just how people forgot the man scored 30 goals 2 years ago.

I mean i can't blame a Kings fan who didn't see him a ton in Detroit, but his speed and skill will never go away and as long as the fit is there he'll produce, and his speed allows him to get to places quick enough the other way too.

Yeah he did score 30 which was great, however he was also abysmal everywhere else on the ice. He also scored a fair amount of his goals in games we were now out of, and once we were already eliminated from the playoffs. Kind of like Tomas Tatar who in 16-17 for us, ended up with 25 goals which looks pretty good, until you realize he scored 10 of those goals in the last 20-25 games, which were effectively meaningless to us, as were were well out of the playoffs, as in the first half of the season he was producing poorly which helped hurt any chance of the playoffs.

 

[Ezekial]

I remember when Rangers fans defended the Brendan Smith deal on small sample size too.

AA has great offensive skill, that's not a question. He also has an ability to be a liability.

The Kings scored big on a cheap 1 year of motivated AA, though, we'll see where he goes from here - maybe he can be the talent we always hoped.

 

[Telos]

He's been ridiculous. He may not be a top-line talent, but lately, he's been playing like it, or at least a very strong second-liner. He has been skating circles around opponents, driving plays, making crisp, skilled passes, and has been using his speed to create scoring chances and taking solid shots. The Kings are virtually forced to re-sign him. No way they let him walk with how he's performed this year.

 

[kilowatt]

That's shocking to me, and really overall just how people forgot the man scored 30 goals 2 years ago.

I mean i can't blame a Kings fan who didn't see him a ton in Detroit, but his speed and skill will never go away and as long as the fit is there he'll produce, and his speed allows him to get to places quick enough the other way too.

Besides the 30 goals, you could say the same thing about Wagner. He legitimately might be the fastest player in the NHL. He can get back to places just fine, he's just bad at defending once he gets there. The Kings have signed or traded for plenty of "former 30-goal scorers" in the past five years, too, and none of them panned out. We've tried plenty of guys with speed to, and that didn't work either. It's nice to see a free agent scoring winger work out for once. Martin Frk worked out a bit last year I guess, but before that, the last UFA winger that worked out for LA was... Simon Gagne, kind of? Honestly, I'm not convinced the Kings have signed a UFA winger (excluding entry-level college guys like Iafallo) that has made a difference to the team since before the lockout. They've traded for guys, they've re-signed guys, but I can't think of any better than Athanasiou of the top of my head. Center, defense, goaltending, I can think of. Wing? I honestly can't. Can other Kings fans help me out?

Los Angeles Kings Contract Signings - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

I didn't move a single goal post, but continue using that HF popular phrase if that floats your boat I guess! Would you still be happy with AA if he got 3.5+ a year? Right now he is making peanuts so expectations are fair enough real low as so would mine. However IF he gets a 2-3 year deal for 3.5+ a year, I don't think you will be as impressed.

Maybe he has changed, not saying that can't be the case, but I think he is simply playing harder right now, cause he doesn't have a contract past this year.

No, I agree the contract year and fighting for his career is a good motivator. I'm not as comfortable as you saying that's the only reason he's playing well though, because we're watching him create by forcing turnovers and playing hard. I'm also not going to say he's fully turned the corner, I don't want you to think I'm saying that--it's just that you're overselling him as being totally gutless and lucky based on how he played in Detroit and his Edmonton stint.

Honestly if he got 2 at 3.5 I'd be happy but that's just because the Kings are playing with blank checks right now. Much more worried about term than $ right now. 3 years, I'd cringe a little maybe.

 

[Johnny Utah]

I’m down for signing him to a 1 or 2 year deal. He’s been good.

 

[Tetsuo]

I hope it works out for AA in LA (which seems like its going well so far) but he was nothing but a cherry-picker by the end of his run in Detroit. He was going absolutely nowhere with us, so he had to be moved. I don't think there's any real risk in extending him for a year or two, he's earned that much, but I really hesitate in believing that he will be a long-term option for any team.

 

[Schmooley]

I can see him checking out and becoming a cherry picker in Detriot. The thing is LA fans are happy to have a floater that brings some offense. Its been Nick Shore type players for years now and the guys that have the speed to score on a rush were Toby Reider and Wagner types that just shoot into the goalies chest on a breakaway. I appreciate his willingness to try to dangle through 4 guys as I havent seen it in a long time here.
Hes been solid defensively though and for the most part has a consistent effort. I hope he stays in LA. Seems like a good fit for everyone.

 

[Frolov 6'3]

Stunning to read some Detroit fans are so hard for him.

No doubt there is some truth to it but who cares, they got great value for a 4th round pick....get real. Goals and two 2nd rounders.

He now is a LA King. I am not jumping on the bandwagon just yet but he is doing fine.

Sometimes a trade does not work out (Edmonton).

 

[NikF]

He is now in a position in his career where his own play will dictate whether he is a scoring forward on bad teams type of player or whether he can stick around and be useful to a winning team. He's done some things to improve his stock, but it's far from clear that he ends up being anything more than a scoring forward on bad to mediocre teams type. He's probably going to stick in the NHL, if nothing else, rebuilding teams need warm bodies that can score. At some point, he might get a shot as a final piece of the puzzle that can bring some 1 on 1 and speed qualities to a team that already has all other pieces of the puzzle in place, but I don't think you can count on him as a core piece.

If I'm the Kings I certainly would not extend him for more than 2 years at most, if I'd give him the extension in the first place. I still view him as a "bridge" player, a temporary solution with little downside until someone you like more comes along. As long as a team is in transition and can afford to do that, Athanasiou will have an opportunity to show he is more valuable than that too. In that regard his stock has been trending upwards slightly and good for him. All in all, a good no-risk move for the Kings and a good move for Athanasiou to try to prove himself, but I think people who are raving about what he is as a player are getting a little over excited.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Shooting percentage matters less for some players than others. Dustin Brown's shooting percentage is 20%, but all he's been doing is hanging out in front of the net, cleaning up rebounds or tipping in shots. 20% success rate for those attempts seems reasonable if you're decent enough at just doing that. It's not like he's sniping one timers from the dot or slapping in shots from the point.

You seem annoyed AA's not playing the way he "should" be playing or the way he was playing in Detroit.....almost like you can't accept players play differently for different teams. [MOD]

But the whole point is that in close to the net is not the player AA has been for his entire career. That's not his game. It's never been his game. Did he score in tight sometimes in Detroit? Yup. But AA's game is an open ice, use his speed to try to create breaks and be one and done on shot opportunities. He can change, but nothing that he's doing right now is supporting that he's changed at all, just that he's having more luck.

Stunning to read some Detroit fans are so hard for him.

No doubt there is some truth to it but who cares, they got great value for a 4th round pick....get real. Goals and two 2nd rounders.

He now is a LA King. I am not jumping on the bandwagon just yet but he is doing fine.

Sometimes a trade does not work out (Edmonton).

So much of our "being hard on him" is because guys like @MBH in here on our board treated him like he was the second coming and AA could never do anything wrong. That his P/60 was just so incredible and the coaching staff, if they could just open their eyes, would realize that they had Connor McDavid on their roster all along if they just played AA 20 minutes a night... as he was going through and putting up on average 16-17 goals a year and 35 points. That if you looked at how the team actually played when he was putting up those goals and points, he wasn't doing things that actually help a team to win. His one-and-done rush plays, substandard PP cycling, and lack of utilizing his teammates were pretty much a hard cap on him massively improving. There was a reason he was -45 last year and it wasn't solely puck luck based.

Taking a step back? Yes, AA was a fabulous 4th round pick. Absolutely fantastic value for Detroit at that spot. It just has always seemed like he's got SO much more in the tank than he shows. He'll have a nice run of games like the 40% shooting percentage time where he looks like the best player on the ice and then follow that with a string of games that you wonder why he's not in the ECHL. Rate stats strip away the context of that streaky play. His overall counting stats were simply not good enough for him to be a streaky, one-dimensional scorer. His streakiness and space-cadetness were enough that even if the rate stats would hold... you couldn't really justify giving him more ice time unless you were to YOLO and throw out any accountability for any of your players.

 

[MBH]

But the whole point is that in close to the net is not the player AA has been for his entire career. That's not his game. It's never been his game. Did he score in tight sometimes in Detroit? Yup. But AA's game is an open ice, use his speed to try to create breaks and be one and done on shot opportunities. He can change, but nothing that he's doing right now is supporting that he's changed at all, just that he's having more luck.

So clueless.

AA's career shooting percentage is 12.3 percent.
My guess is it's closer to 18-19 percent at 5 on 5.
Because he's always generated quality scoring chances.

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

So clueless.

AA's career shooting percentage is 12.3 percent.
My guess is it's closer to 18-19 percent at 5 on 5.
Because he's always generated quality scoring chances.

Athanasiou's career shooting percentage at 5-on-5 is 11.78%.

 

[MBH]

So much of our "being hard on him" is because guys like @MBH in here on our board treated him like he was the second coming and AA could never do anything wrong. .

Exactly. Your opinions on AA were never based on AA, but your reaction to other fans.

 

[MBH]

Athanasiou's career shooting percentage at 5-on-5 is 11.78%.

What percentile of the league is that?

 

[redcard]

He scored 3 goals in his first 3 games on 3 shots 2 months ago.

His shooting % after those games is 11.5%, in line with his career average. This thread wasn't bumped in March because he's "getting lucky," He's getting praised in March because he's still playing well in March despite no longer shooting at that "unsustainable" 3/3.

 

[bouncesonly]

AA isn't Dustin Brown though. I also never said anywhere that players can't change. I just don't think AA has though is all I am saying, as 17 games is not that long of a stretch. The end of your second paragraph is completely unnecessary, as I have not used any demeaning words like that, and wasn't even close to being toxic.

One, I never said you said players can't change. I said it appears you don't believe AA can't change. My perception of your opinions of AA is quite different than me quoting you saying AA can't change. Also, it is being toxic....and I never said you "said" all those demeaning words because what I said was something that has yet to happen (projection into the future)....and I suppose the future quote wasn't hyperbolic enough to be sarcastic as you took easy offense to it.

You're note quite as skillful as you think you are at arguing semantics. Perhaps stick to your hot take that AA wasn't the player you wanted him for Detroit.....cause he's doing fine in LA.