Red Wings: Filip Zadina Out 2-3 Weeks; Andreas Athanasiou Returns

The Detroit Red Wings have had a bit of an injury bug since mid-December, but they have been getting some of these players back like Jonathan Bernier and now Andreas Athanasiou. But players returning means a price must be paid, this time it is Filip Zadina who heads to the injured reserve for the next two to three weeks.

The Detroit Red Wings who are steamrolling their way towards the best odds at the first overall pick have finally gotten some players back from the injured reserve (IR).

Goaltender Jonathan Bernier has returned to the lineup after missing some time through January, and forward Andreas Athanasiou returns to the lineup after getting injured back in December. This is good for the Red Wings who have two tradeable healthy players back in the lineup, but they have also just seen their rookie star Filip Zadina head to the IR.

Zadina will most likely miss the next two to three weeks with a lower-body injury. Zadina has spent the majority of the 2019-20 season with the Red Wings after being sent down here and there to get more games in.

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Over the course of twenty-eight games with Detroit, he has scored eight goals and picked up seven assists for a total of fifteen points. He has spent twenty-one games with the Grand Rapids Griffins where he has scored nine goals with seven assists for sixteen total points.

Zadina has played well in the opportunities given to him at the professional level, and it is good to see the Red Wings allowing him to stay with the team rather than shipping him back down to the minors.

However, an injury keeping him off the ice is never good, but there are some positives to look at for the Red Wings. For example, with Zadina’s ice time being freed up, Athanasiou can jump back into the lineup and hopefully play well.

With one player heading to the IR and one returning, hopefully, Detroit will get some more calls as the trade deadline inches closer. Athanasiou is one of the better forwards available as a rental forward available across the league. If the Red Wings can get him back into the lineup and he can show he is healthy, there should be a good amount of teams calling to gauge his value.

So far, Athanasiou has played in thirty-six games with the Red Wings, tallying five goals and fourteen assists for nineteen total points. Athanasiou missed time with an injury that has kept him out of the lineup, but teams have still shown interest like the Pittsburgh Penguins as recently discussed.

This leaves Anthony Mantha and defenseman Danny DeKeyser still on the IR for the Red Wings.