Andreas Athanasiou has agreed to a two-year extension with the Blackhawks
Andreas Athanasiou has played 459 games in his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, and Los Angeles Kings, tallying 125 goals and 111 assists. In 2017–18, he had a career-high 30 goals and 24 assists while playing for Detroit. Athanasiou was first selected by the Red Wings in the fourth round (110th overall) at the 2012 NHL Draft.
According to Charlie Roumeliotis on Wednesday evening, The Chicago Blackhawks have signed forward Andreas Athanasiou to a two-year, $8.5 million contract.
Andreas Athanasiou returns to Chicago. https://t.co/FHqksZ9XcT
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 7, 2023
Athanasiou played in 81 games, his most in a single season, and reached the 20-goal and 40-point mark in his NHL career in his first season with the Blackhawks. With 12 points (six goals, six assists) in his final eight games, including a three-point performance in the season finale, he also ended the year on a strong note.
The Blackhawks must surround their younger players with seasoned players who can skate and score given that Connor Bedard, the likely No. 1 overall pick, and Lukas Reichel are expected to play in the NHL full-time next season. Part of that objective is achieved by Athanasiou, who gives the Blackhawks a dynamic, quick forward who can break a game open often.
In the end, it’s a win-win situation for Athanasiou and the Blackhawks, who likely didn’t mind increasing the cap charge slightly if it meant signing a shorter-term contract to guarantee rising above the cap floor while preserving long-term financial flexibility.
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