Blackhawks Player Grades: Andreas Athanasiou

Last season was riddled with injuries for the Chicago Blackhawks.

At one point in the season, it felt like half of the roster was injured for one reason or another.

Connor Bedard, Seth Jones, Connor Murphy, and Taylor Hall were just some of the notable names to grace the injury report.

However, a forgotten sidelined name was Andreas Athanasiou.

Athanasiou had a solid first season with the Blackhawks, posting 40 points (20 goals, 20 assists) in 2022-23.

Those efforts helped him earn a two-year deal for respectable money to hang around in Chicago.

Excited for his speed in the lineup, expectations were high for Athanasiou entering the 2023-24 season.

Story of the Season Andreas Athanasiou played the first 11 games of the season, posting four points (all assists), very similar to Taylor Hall's production.

Unfortunately, both players missed a ton of time following the early slate of the season.

Unlike Hall, Athanasiou returned in mid-March.

Down the stretch, the veteran only posted five points (two goals, three assists) in 17 games.

In 28 total games , Athanasiou failed to crack double-figure points.

Athanasiou may have been feeling the lingering effects of his groin injury down the stretch.

At times, head coach Luke Richardson had no problem calling out the veteran when the team needed more.

As a result, the speedy forward watched his ice time dwindle in a number of games down the stretch.

Regardless of the reason, 2023-24 was a forgettable season for Athanasiou.

Entering 2024-25, he needs a big year to cash in with the Blackhawks or with someone else when free agency rolls around.

Player Grades Jonnie Nonnie's Grade: C Andreas Athanasiou's game relies on speed, making a long-term groin/hip injury a major detriment to his availability this past season.

When healthy, he showed flashes of what made him so effective in 2022-23.

But at a $4.25 million salary-cap hit, the Blackhawks were relying on him to provide Connor Bedard with consistent offensive help, and he couldn't offer what was expected of him due to the injury.

I'm not blaming a player for suffering an injury, but we must grade based on the available material, and I viewed his contributions as C-worthy.

Tony Marchese's Grade: C- When healthy, Andreas Athanasiou can be a difference-maker.

Unfortunately, it's hard to do so when you only appear in 28 games and put up nine points.

Injuries were the story of the season for the 29-year-old winger, and although he made his way back to the lineup late in the year to show some flashes of a return to a version of his healthier self, it was overall a slightly below-average season for Athanasiou, thus his C- for the year.

Ron Luce's Grade: C+ Andreas Athanasiou appears to be a player who thrives when playing with elite talent while showcasing his speed.

Unfortunately, his groin injury really limited his availability and his speed.

Additionally, Athanasiou was pushed down the lineup, meaning he was relied upon to carry the offense.

A fully healthy version of Athanasiou probably gets that done, but the 2023-24 version was not as good.

C+ is the grade from me.

What's On Tap Next? Andreas Athanasiou can surely bounce back in the second year of his deal.

If he rivals the totals he posted in 2022-23, then Athanasiou could be in line for a solid payday on the free-agent market.

However, it appears he'll need to do that from the bottom six given the Blackhawks' new-look forward group.

Tell us if you agree with our grades! What would you give Andreas Athanasiou? Let us know at @FourFeathersPod on X and Instagram ! This article first appeared on On Tap Sports Net and was syndicated with permission..

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