Breaking: another HUGE obstacle in the Athanasiou saga!

There was a collective sigh of relief yesterday when it was announced that the Detroit Red Wings and free agent Andreas Athanasiou had come to an agreement on a one-year contract. 

Finally, the impasse was over and the 23-year-old was expected to fly in from Switzerland to join the team and return to the lineup soon enough. But not so fast... 

Athanasiou is dealing with another significant issue, one that could delay his first game in a Wings uniform. The forward needs to get a work visa, a procedure that could take several days or even weeks. 

On top of that, the Wings still have to make some moves to get cap compliant with Athanasiou. Rumours hint at a possible trade between the Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins for Riley Sheahan. The work visa issues might give GM Ken Holland some time to figure it out.