Trade Rumor: Two western conference teams vying for Athanasiou

According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, both the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks have shown interest in acquiring unsigned Detroit Red Wings RFA Andreas Athanasiou. The 23-year-old winger remains the last unsigned RFA in the NHL and in his latest 31 Thoughts article Friedman speculates that their could be more than money hindering a deal in Detroit.

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When it reaches this point, you wonder if there’s something besides financials affecting his decision, maybe usage or role. I think there are other teams interested (personal guesses include St. Louis and Vancouver), but I’m guessing they wait to see if Detroit will consider a trade rather than trying an offer sheet.

So, assuming this is true and both the Blues and Canucks are interested in acquiring Athanasiou, what’s a fair return? Given that the Wings are a cap-strapped team as it is, they likely couldn’t take a roster player in return. How about a draft pick? While Athanasiou is a promising player, he has yet to crack 30 points in the NHL, so anything more than a mid-round pick might be an overpayment? A fourth rounder? Third rounder? Would the Wings hold out for a second rounder or more? Time will tell.