Yzerman could look to trade star forward

Things may finally be looking better for the Detroit Red Wings as they earned a hard-fought win against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday by a score of 3-1. The victory was sweet revenge for the Wings who had lost their previous game against the Oilers earlier in October. 

The team has made a huge mental effort to build off of even the smallest positive aspects of their play during their 8 match losing streak before their long-awaited win on Tuesday. The observable change in the way the Wings play the game is in no small part thanks to strong leadership from Dylan Larkin and head coach Jeff Blashill. 

Larkin took the blame for Detroit's difficulties and then proceeded to walk the walk by obtaining 4 points in the last 2 games he played. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, the same cannot be said about all of their key players, as some are struggling to contribute in the way they are expected to. The prime example is Andreas Athanasiou who still hasn't scored a goal through 11 games so far this season and who is currently sitting on a measly 3 points.

He had a breakout season last year scoring 30 goals and amassing 54 points. It seemed that he had finally solidified his place in the Red Wings plans moving forward after a shaky start. Fans will remember Athanasiou's 2017 contract imbroglio as he and Detroit's management struggled to come to an agreement concerning his contract renewal, but everyone looked content to put this incident behind them as he became a solid offensive contributor.

However, Athanasiou is currently in the final season of a 2-year contract worth an average yearly salary of $3mil. and his lack of offensive production in Detroit this season has raised a few questions. NHL insider Elliotte Friedman says "(...) the status quo is not acceptable" for the Red Wings. They are a rebuilding team and Friedman suggests that GM Steve Yzerman could possibly think about trading him. 

Detroit's management knows all too well how complicated contract negotiations can be with the Athanasiou camp. As he is set to hit free agency as an UFA in July, it wouldn't be too surprising if the Yzerman held talks with teams who could be interested in making a move for the speedy forward. There is no doubt that Athanasiou is a very good hockey player. Teams around the NHL would undoubtedly be interested in creating a fresh start for him.

It's becoming apparent that Athanasiou has trouble settling into the Detroit team. That being said, Friedman points out that he took a bit of time before becoming productive last season. The 25-year old could yet be an indispensable player for Blashill and Yzerman this season, but if that isn't the case, he could be one to be traded for an interesting return by the rebuilding Wings.