Perhaps it is the residue of his 2017-2018 holdout, what with fans perceiving him as ungrateful. The Detroit Red Wings fanbase has a history of struggling to look holdouts in the past. Such a young player asking for more than what the team offered! I don’t know the merits of his bargaining case, but I do know we are not content accepting less than we imagine we are worth.
Perhaps it was his slow start after holding out. Athanasiou went a dozen games invisible on the ice, and off the scoring sheet. That doesn’t wash well for offensive players.