Everything about Andreas Athanasiou, particularly his dreadful and league-worst plus-minus of minus-45, has to be viewed through the prism of him playing for the Detroit Red Wings. But after a trade to the Edmonton Oilers Monday, the 25-year-old will be better on a superior team, and has the chance to be much, much better if he can find chemistry with the best player in the world.
This much we know. Athanasiou can match Connor McDavid’s speed stride for stride and it might be the first time in McDavid’s career that he has someone alongside him who can skate almost as quickly as he can.