Athanasiou not on trading block

Andreas Athanasiou is in Switzerland but one place the Detroit Red Wings forward is not is on the trading block. The Wings are not actively shopping the restricted free agent, currently a holdout in the midst of a contract impasse with the club. It’s not that they aren’t getting or listening to offers, but since they wouldn’t exactly be dealing from a position of strength, it’s not like the offers the Wings are getting are knocking their socks off. There are myriad problems that must be encountered in any Athanasiou trade proposal, the first of which was just mentioned above. If a team were to come in with an offer that included a top four defenseman or a top six center, Detroit’s interest would certainly be piqued, but that’s not going to happen. Nor should it. Any team that would trade such a valuable and rare commodity for Athanasiou, a player with one full NHL season under his belt, would be foolhardy. We’re talking about a player who still has much to prove to determine whether he will be an elite NHL player. Yes, Athanasiou scored 18 goals last season, did so in limited ice time, and 17 of those tallies came with Detroit playing five on five. He possesses world-class speed on skates. Those are all positive indications in his corner that suggest he will develop into something special. At the same time, he remains a player who attempts high-risk plays, often at times when the return on that investment is low. It means he will sometimes score highlight-reel goals but it also can put his team into jeopardy.