The Detroit Red Wings have one unsigned RFA remaining on their roster, and it seems there is a chance that player could up and leave for the KHL.
According to various reports, 23-year-old forward Andreas Athanasiou is considering an offer received from Russia’s top league. Rick Dhaliwal of 1130 Sports in Vancouver was the first to report this possibility on Tuesday evening.
Later in the evening, The Athletic’s Craig Custance confirmed the report out of Detroit through a text with Athanasiou’s agent Darren Ferris.
“I have received a considerable offer that is significant,” Ferris wrote to Custance.
Athanasiou scored 18 goals and 29 points in 64 games last season, his first full year in the NHL. An analytics darling, Athanasiou was limited to an average of 13:27 of ice time per game, but converted goals on 15 per cent of his shots. A quick, shifty player, the 6-foot-2, 192-pound Athanasiou made a name for himself with his hands and speed in the past year.
He is an RFA without arbitration rights, so Athanasiou’s options are to sign in the KHL, hope for an offer sheet, sign a Wings offer, or sit out.
The London, Ont., native was a fourth round pick (110th overall) by Detroit in 2012 and spent his days in junior hockey with the London Knights and Barrie Colts.
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