By Jeff Moss
DetroitSportsRag@GMail.com
August 19, 2016
We are about a month away from the Detroit Red Wings’ disastrous summer ending and training camp commencing in Traverse City so I thought this might be a good time to write an article on where the team stands.
For one, Jimmy Howard is still a member of the organization, meaning the franchise has two goalies making a combined $9 million dollars this season. Eight percent of the team’s entire salary cap is taken by the goaltender position and, last time I checked, only one of them can start per game.
The organization also has a traffic jam of centers and wingers so long that Ken Holland might have more forwards than Bill Cosby has rape accusers.
Remember the speculation in early July that the signings of Frans Nielsen, Thomas Vanek and Steve Ott combined with the re-upping of Darren Helm and Luke Glendening would necessitate a trade of forward depth for defensive help?
Yeah, that hasn’t occurred over the last seven weeks and if you are still waiting for Ken “I Like My Team” Holland to make a trade this summer, I have one of his daughter’s chastity belts to sell you.
So as the calendar turns steadily closer to September 23rd — the date the team will open camp Up North — Holland seems hellbent on losing Martin Frk and Nick Jensen for nothing on the waiver wire because the moron can’t assemble a roster properly.
But ALL of that doom and gloom is just an appetizer for the REAL reason I am writing this article: the status of Andreas Athanasiou. It seems abundantly clear from the logjam of forwards on the roster that fan favorite Double A will be starting the season in West Michigan.
Between the ridiculous re-signing of Helm and the asinine decision to bring in the human paraquat known as Steve Ott, there clearly is no room for AA, especially considering he is one of the forwards who can be sent back to Grand Rapids without exposing him to the waiver process.
And I would not be surprised if Athanasiou’s eventual demotion comes along with an assassination of the kid’s character by Wings’ management.
We already know that Holland and Company have a track record of denigrating young talent when the rebellious fan base vociferously states they are more interested in developing young players than they are extending the meaningless playoff streak.
Holland and Jimmy Devellano have already done this with Anthony Mantha …
… and they have already begun the process with Athanasiou …
And that quote from Jeff “The Naked Goalie” Blashill will look like a friendly game of “Pat-a-Cake” if my sources are accurate. Apparently, the team has already started leaking negative comments about Athanasiou to the media.
Now, before I get to the Wings’ upper management daggers about Athanasiou, let me take you back in time a little. The first OHL team that AA played for was the London Knights owned by the Hunter brothers, Dale and Mark.
You might remember some of Dale Hunter’s work from when he was in the NHL ….
Yep, classy guy. Anyway, the Hunter brothers did not like Athanasiou at all so AA ended up finishing his OHL career with the Barrie Colts.
Well, my sources have advised me that when the 2012 draft came around, the Hunter brothers were badmouthing Double A to anyone who would listen. Which is why AA fell to the 110th pick overall (fourth round) when some thought he might go two rounds earlier.
Back in ’12, Jim Nill was still Holland’s right-hand man — before Nill left to take the GM gig in Dallas — and Nill insisted that the Wings select Athanasiou no matter what the Hunter brothers were saying about his character and Holland obliged.
Now four years later, it would appear that Athanasiou is once again experiencing badmouthing, but this time it’s coming from his own team’s front office in the form of leaks to the media.
And what is the upper brass saying about the speedy center? That he is lazy. That he is not a good teammate. That nobody respects him.
And the reason given as to why Athanasiou didn’t get more minutes at the end of last year and in the playoffs is they think he would have been exposed if he had been given more ice time. Which is odd considering Athanasiou led the ENTIRE league in penalties drawn per 60 minutes last season at 3.0. He didn’t just lead the Red Wings. He didn’t just lead among forwards with Greek heritage. He didn’t just lead the league among centers with a sibling who is a stand-up comedian.
No. The entire god-damn NHL.
I mean, you’d think a guy who was tenth on your team in goals scored (even though he only played in 37 of a possible 82 games) might be worthy of a TOI experiment of let’s say 14 minutes a game.
For comparison’s sake, Athanasiou scored nine goals in 334 minutes played. Henrik Zetterberg tallied FOUR more goals than AA in 1,592 total minutes of ice time!!!! The team’s captain almost played FIVE times as many minutes as the rookie and #40 only netted FOUR more goals!!!!
Even if you had this theory that Athanasiou might get “exposed” with more ice time, wouldn’t you at some point attempt to test this hypothesis of yours?!!?!?!
It’s like having incredible sex with your girlfriend and saying to yourself, “Ahhh … I don’t think I am going to try different positions with her or fuck more than once a month because it might get boring or not be as good.”
Can you imagine that Holland and Blashill are concerned that Athanasiou MIGHT get exposed with an increased workload? Jonathan Ericsson might as well be the star of one of the “Emmanuelle” movies for the number of times THAT guy has been naked to the world as a defenseman.
Exposure? Fucking Luke Glendening would have perpetual frostbite if this were a legitimate concern.
Not a good teammate? Was it Athanasiou who slew-footed Tyler Johnson (noted AHL superstar) in a playoff game WHILE his team was already shorthanded?
Nope, that was a guy (Justin Abdelkader) whom Holland gave a 74-year, $2 billion contract. I might be slightly exaggerating term and dollars there a tad.
So let’s recap. The young forward who might be faster than Dylan Larkin and who averaged a goal every 37 minutes of ice time in his rookie season while leading the ENTIRE NHL in penalties drawn probably will start the season in the AHL; didn’t get more ice time in 2015-16 because he didn’t light the minors on fire; can’t be trusted with more ice time even though that’s never been attempted; and is being gossiped about by team management.
Oh. I think the Red Wings might eventually make a trade and deal a young forward away.
I just wouldn’t be shocked if that player were Andreas Athanasiou with his new home being in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex area.
And we will look fondly upon the days when AA was a 2 1/2 hour drive away.
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