Before the start of the 2023-24 campaign, I wrote about how this could be the season Chicago Blackhawks’ forward Andreas Athanasiou changes his reputation.
After signing a two-year, $8.5 million contract, the 29-year-old earned some financial flexibility, but now it was time to cement his status in the NHL as a legitimate, consistent goal scorer, someone who could shake off the scouting report of someone who doesn’t always give their best effort. This was his chance to write his own narrative.
But that didn’t happen. Not even close.
Athanasiou Suffered a Very Slow Start
Only playing in 11 games before suffering a groin injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since Nov. 9, Athanasiou scored no goals and only recorded four assists. He also had seven games where his ice time was below 13 minutes. His lack of early production even prompted head coach Luke Richardson to healthy scratch Athanasiou for their Oct. 27 match against the Vegas Golden Knights.
“We need more out of him,” Richardson said to reporters before that game against the Golden Knights. “We need more of his speed and his dynamic.”
In the four games he played after returning to the lineup, the Blackhawks didn’t really see much of anything, as Athanasiou only recorded one assist and failed to really have any impact on the game. Having left their Nov. 9 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning early, the team speculated that he would be out week-to-week. But weeks turned into a month, then a few months, and as of Feb. 29, Athanasiou has missed 47 consecutive games with a groin injury.
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Perhaps this was a lingering injury from the summer or the preseason that carried into the regular season, one that he wanted to hide from team doctors so he wouldn’t lose his spot in the lineup. But if that’s the case, then it clearly failed, and it cost him over half the season. Three-and-a-half months of not playing can take a toll on a player’s mental health, just as much as it can on their career.
Could We See a Return Soon?
On Feb. 10, Athanasiou skated for what might have been the first time since November, at least in front of Blackhawks’ reporters.
Since Feb. 24, the Blackhawks’ forward is no longer wearing a non-contact jersey during practice for the first in months. The head coach was clearly happy with Athanasiou’s return.
“He had a couple of quick, slick, skilled plays,” Richardson said. “I saw that, and I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah, we do miss that in a game.'”
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“It’s been very frustrating, since being a skater is my strong suit and I wasn’t able to skate, so obviously it was not a good feeling,” Athanasiou told reporters on Feb. 27. “There was a lot of tough nights, but you put your head down and get ready for the next day and work through it.”
Obviously, there’s a sense of frustration in Athanasiou when you watch that clip, and who can blame him? A new season with a new contract, a generational phenom in Connor Bedard as a new teammate — and potential linemate — and motivation to one-up the previous season’s production. But injuries can be out of our control, and before you know it, you’re an afterthought in the minds of coaches and fans alike.
As of Feb. 28, Athanasiou was skating on a line with Zach Sanford and Boris Katchouk, according to the Chicago Sun-Tribune’s Ben Pope. Not exactly an elite company, considering they’re unofficially the fifth line in practice, but it’s a start.
Athanasiou Needs to Hit the Reset Button Upon Return
As of the publication of this story, there’s no timetable on when Athanasiou will return. Some hope he’ll be back for their three-game road trip starting March 4 when they face the Colorado Avalanche, or in one of the following games against the Arizona Coyotes (March 5) or Washington Capitals (March 9).
With 23 games to go, it’s already certain that the Blackhawks won’t make the playoffs, one or more players could be traded before the March 8 Trade Deadline, and most eyes will be on how Bedard closes out the season, hoping to earn the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.
There isn’t much time for the native of London, Ont. to make an impact on the 2023-24 season. But Athanasiou, who at one point scored 30 goals in 2018-19 with the Detroit Red Wings, needs to prove to coaches, management and himself that he deserves to stick with this team in the long term. Injuries be damned, his performance in the first month of the season left much to be desired, so much that the coaching staff would rather keep him and his speed on the bench or the press box instead of on the ice.
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However many games he ends up dressing in, he has to start producing. Whether it’s generating more chances in the offensive zone, playing better defensively in his own zone, or just staying healthy in the lineup, this is a make-or-break moment for Athanasiou. And while he might not admit that to reporters, deep down he knows it.
Because if he can’t get it done, then it won’t be worth it for general manager Kyle Davidson to bring back the young forward for another season. Yes, the Blackhawks have plenty of cap room, but it won’t matter. With one year left on his contract, some other team can take his $4.25 million cap hit and unrealized skill set. If that happens, this may be his last NHL contract.
If Athanasiou wants to change that, then he needs to put up or shut up. To quote Gord Downie, no one’s interested in something you didn’t do.
