Blackhawks re-sign Athanasiou to 2-year deal
The Chicago Blackhawks have brought back Andreas Athanasiou on a two-year pact carrying a $4.25-million cap hit, the team confirmed Thursday.
Athanasiou was a pending unrestricted free agent. The Blackhawks inked him to a one-year, $3-million contract last July.
The forward, who'll turn 29 on August 6, collected 20 goals and 20 assists while playing all but one game for the Blackhawks this season.
Andreas Athanasiou, signed 2x$4.25M by CHI, is a middle six winger who creates chances with his speed, scores with his speed, draws penalties with his speed, and that's about it. #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/FjqBXDKsKY
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 7, 2023
Athanasiou has played for four teams in his eight-year career. He spent his first four-plus campaigns with the Detroit Red Wings, who traded him to the Edmonton Oilers in February 2020. He then signed with the Los Angeles Kings about 10 months later before joining Chicago as a free agent last summer.
The Blackhawks have rarely retained veteran players since Kyle Davidson took over as general manager in March of last year. The GM slowly stripped the club of most of its talent, and the strategy paid off in May when Chicago won the draft lottery and right to select Connor Bedard after finishing with the league's third-worst record.
The Red Wings drafted Athanasiou 110th overall in 2012.