At the 2020 NHL Trade Deadline, the Edmonton Oilers knew they needed help on the wing of Connor McDavid, especially someone who can keep up with his speed. So, they called the Detroit Red Wings, and sent a package for the 25-year-old center, Andreas Athanasiou. Athanasiou was having a tough season individually in Detroit, but he did play some time on the wing, proven he could play there as well. Unfortunately for the Oilers, he struggled to mesh onto McDavid’s line. What was even more of an inconvenience for the Oilers was the NHL salary cap not increasing due to the outbreak of COVID-19. They couldn’t afford his $3 million qualifying offer, which would still have been less than his value. So, he will be hitting Free Agency as a UFA on Friday, October 9th.

Can the Islanders afford Andreas Athanasiou?

Lou Lamoriello can be an aggressive general manager at times, but should he approach Athanasiou? Now that he’s a UFA, his AAV should be somewhere in the $4-5.5 million range. The deal would likely range between three to five years. As of now, the Islanders have $8.9 million in cap space (CapFriendly). So, Athanasiou could potentially be in the Islanders price range. Plus, that cap space may increase as Nick Leddy, Johnny Boychuk, or Leo Komarov could be traded soon. If he can, Lou will trade Andrew Ladd, but it would take significant compensation for the receiving team, likely a first round pick. No matter how much money we have, signing RFA Mat Barzal long-term is the number one priority. Next would be defenseman Ryan Pulock and Devon Toews, also RFAs, and if they don’t get him they would need to sign top-4 defenseman replacement. But what if there’s leftover money? Then should the Islanders try to sign him? Does he fit in the Islanders system?

Would Andreas Athanasiou be a good fit on the Island?

Andreas Athanasiou is a speedy forward despite his size. The 6’2″ center/winger plays a 200-foot game and is effective anywhere. He is a similar player to Anthony Beauviller; a second-line center that has a high hockey IQ. However, Athanasiou is slightly better defensively while Beauviller is slightly better offensively. He is the type of player the Trotz likes. The problem is, the Islanders already have seven top-6 value forwards, three of which are centers.

Should the Islanders sign Andreas Athanasiou?

The Islanders should only approach Andreas Athanasiou if Mathew Barzal is not resigned.

It’s hard to imagine Mat Barzal in any jersey other than an Islanders. But just in case he does, if Athanasiou hasn’t signed yet. He’s definitely not Barzal, but he’s a decent top-six center that can be effective in the system for reasonable cost. If Barzal resigns, the Islanders are best off sticking with Barzal-Beauviller-Pageau-Cizikas as the center corps and not changing it. It wouldn’t be worth the cost if the Islanders plan to use Athanasiou on the wing, as the top two lines of wingers are filled, and Athanasiou would cost too much if he were to be used as a third-liner. So, it would only make logical sense if Mathew Barzal were not to re-sign with the team.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others