from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,

It would not be surprising to see the Wings trade Athanasiou. If they get a good offer – at least a second-round pick or a good prospect, preferably a defenseman – he could be flipped to help the rebuild.

As talented as Athanasiou is, he shouldn’t be as quiet as he is at times – last season he went for stretches of 10 and 15 games without a goal. That came even as he averaged 15:19 minutes per game, up from 13:28 in 2016-17. His average power play time increased to 1:44 from 1:13, yet he contributed only four points during man advantages....

Of the young NHL forwards who have trade value, Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi are not going to be moved. Athanasiou, though, could be on the block, and the terms of the new contract should help facilitate a deal.

more