Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press hands out midseason grades:

Justin AbdelkaderStats: Three assists 24 in games.

Salary cap hit: $4.25 million.

Grade: D. He played with physicality to start the season but has struggled since returning from injury, and ended up a healthy scratch for two games in December. His decline in play is especially worrisome given he is signed through 2022-23.

Andreas AthanasiouStats: Five goals, 14 assists in 36 games.

Salary cap hit: $3 million.

Grade: C-minus. Has the explosive speed and soft hands to be a scoring threat, but lacks consistency. Has stood out more for defensive lapses that have left him with the NHL’s worst plus-minus at minus-35.

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