The Chicago Blackhawks could place Andreas Athanasiou on waiver early this week. There are a lot of factors that have gone into this, but as he hasn’t played much for the team since signing his last contract, that isn’t likely to change moving forward.
Elliotte Friedman mentioned, “I heard there’s another name coming that’s a possibility (for waivers), and that’s Andreas Athanasiou…Someone said to me that could be coming early this week.”
Athanasiou has played five games this season, last suiting up on October 22 in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks in which he played less than 10 minutes. He has logged fewer than 10 minutes in four of his five games and the team was hoping he could be an option at center this season, a position they are hurting at.
He signed a two-year, $4.25 million AAV deal with the Blackhawks in the summer of 2023 after scoring 20 goals and recording 40 points in 81 games in his first season with the team. When healthy and in the right situation, the former 30 goal scorer has proven he can succeed.
But Friedman also said, “Like (Dante) Fabbro, it’s just a player that needs a new start elsewhere.” I think that will be tough for Athanasiou to find this season. The Blackhawks have cap space in order to just bury him in the minors for the rest of the season and not force a trade.
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Since Athanasiou would go through waivers before heading to the AHL, every other team in the NHL would be able to claim him. With his cap hit, that is very unlikely. A trade with cap retention is the only way the 30-year-old is moving this season.
If or when this move by the Blackhawks to place Athanasiou on waivers comes, there will be an open roster spot that the team will most definitely fill. There are some younger players doing pretty well in Rockford, so someone will be given a chance and be rewarded for their play.
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