After the Detroit Red Wings parted ways with veteran forward Gus Nyquist at the NHL trade deadline, it leaves a critical role in the lineup that needs to be filled. Nyquist was a top-six forward all season long, now the team will be looking for someone to fill his shoes or shall I say skates moving forward.
Andreas Athanasiou is having a career year but has often been skating on the Wings third line with Luke Glendening and Darren Helm in recent weeks leading up to the trade deadline. He plays with more skilled forwards on the top power-play unit, but he’s been the only offensive threat on that third line.