Red Wings’ Holland: Younger players don’t have stock built up that veterans do

Detroit Red Wings general manager Ken Holland joined TSN Montreal 690 for an interview on Monday, during which he spoke about speedy forward Andreas Athanasiou, and why he seems to be in coach Jeff Blashill’s doghouse.

We all know of Holland’s maligned “less is more exciting” nonsense from this off-season. Is giving one of the most exciting and speedy young forward’s on the team less ice time more “exciting”?

“First off, this is a hard league to be 22 and we’re trying to be a playoff team, were trying to win games, last year and this year,” Holland explained. “Most of these games in the NHL are decided by one goal on most nights, so if a young player lets a check go and the guy gets a scoring chance, it’s an opportunity, I guess, as a coach, to send a message to learn how to help your team win.”

“It can’t always just be about the offensive side of the puck, it’s also got to be about the defensive side of the puck.”

Athanasiou had been scratched three times this year, and ranks 12th among the team’s 16 forwards in ice time at just 12:41 per contest. Earlier this year, Blashill said Athanasiou needs a higher compete level and addressed his defensive lapses.

Holland also explained that there is a short leash with younger players, but that veteran players get more slack.

“Jeff Blashill and I talk about this quite often — Henrik Zetterberg is an example. He’s built up stock. It’s like you’re in a company,” Holland continued. “When you build up stock and you have an off night, all the stock you’ve built up allows you to have those nights when, as a veteran player, you maybe have an off night.”

“When you’re a young player you can’t have off nights because you don’t have that stock built up, you haven’t done enough to help the team win through time.” 

Since being scratched on January 4, Athanasiou has been a force for Detroit, scoring four goals and seven points in six games, including a highlight reel end-to-end score against the Penguins.

The Red Wings need offense, and Athanasiou is helping to provide it. His defensive lapses are more than made up for with his blazing speed and offensive potential that he’s realizing this year. The team would be wise to keep increasing his minutes, because they’re getting points out of it.