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Blackhawks re-sign Andreas Athanasiou to 2-year deal

The “Greece Lightning” GIFs will live on.

BURNING UP THE QUARTER MILE

According to multiple reports, the Blackhawks have re-signed forward Andreas Athanasiou to a two-year contract, keeping him from hitting unrestricted free agency in a few weeks. Based on the reporting below, Athanasiou will receive a decent raise from his $3.0 million salary last season:

[THURSDAY UPDATE] The Blackhawks have confirmed the signing:

Athanasiou signed that one-year deal last July and produced 40 points (20 G, 20 A) in 81 ganes while averaging 16:00 of ice time. It wasn’t a career-best season from Athanasiou but he proved to be a viable NHL-caliber player on a roster which did not have as many of those as one might expect – all part of The Planβ„’, of course.

Andreas Athanasiou is an unrestricted free agent this summer. What the should Blackhawks do about that?
The open market awaits if the Blackhawks elect to not re-sign the veteran forward.

In fact, let’s revisit a little snippet of that article right now:

Still, there’s a worthwhile NHL player here and it wouldn’t be the worst choice in the world to bring him back for another season in Chicago. His long-term future won’t be with this franchise – Athanasiou turns 29 in August – so it’s possible that he will seek more term elsewhere than what the Blackhawks would offer. If not, though, Chicago could easily afford to pay him $4 or $5 million for another season with the intention of retaining half of that salary at the 2024 deadline to entice potential buyers next spring.

Even with a second year on the deal, this contract carries zero risk for a team still miles away from the salary cap floor, let alone the ceiling. And should Athanasiou have a breakout performance in the upcoming season or the one after, it’s entirely possible that the Blackhawks retain half of that salary to make it worthwhile for a cash-strapped Cup contender. Having that contract locked in for a second season at that same rate could be another positive factor for GM Kyle Davidson at the bargaining table.

Not much of anything to dislike about about this move.

Talking Points