Red Wings trade Andreas Athanasiou to Edmonton

By @MichaelCaples –

The Detroit Red Wings have sent one of their talented young forwards away on NHL Trade Deadline Day.

Now confirmed by the team, the Red Wings have traded Andreas Athanasiou to Edmonton – the team’s second trade-deadline move with former general manager Ken Holland and the Oilers after the team moved Mike Green late Sunday evening.

The Wings are receiving forward Sam Gagner, a second-round pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft for Athanasiou and forward Ryan Kuffner.

Athanasiou, 25, was the Red Wings’ fourth-round pick in 2010. During an injury-riddled 2019-2020 season, he has recorded 24 points in 46 games, along with a league-worst -45 rating.

In 294 career games, he has 154 total points, all with Detroit.

Gagner, 30, was a No. 6 overall pick by the Oilers in 2007. In 838 career games with Edmonton, Arizona, Philadelphia, Columbus and Vancouver, he has recorded 458 total points.

This year, in 36 games, he has five goals and seven assists for 12 total points.

Kuffner was a undrafted free-agent signing by the Wings at the conclusion of his senior season with Princeton last spring; he played in 10 NHL games after signing and didn’t register a single point.

This year, Kuffner played exclusively for Grand Rapids, recording nine points in 32 games.