Oilers acquire Andreas Athanasiou, prospect from Wings for Gagner, two picks

EDMONTON—The Edmonton Oilers acquired winger Andreas Athanasiou and minor-leaguer Ryan Kuffner from the Detroit Red Wings for centre Sam Gagner and two second-round draft picks ahead of Monday’s NHL trade deadline.

The 25-year-old Athanasiou has 10 goals and 24 points in 46 games this season, and is a league-worst minus-45.

The move reunites Athanasiou with Oilers general manager Ken Holland, who drafted the Woodbridge, Ont., native 110th overall in 2012 when he was GM in Detroit.

Set to become a restricted free agent July 1, Athanasiou has 83 goals and 154 points in 294 career NHL games.

The picks heading to Detroit in the deal are for the 2020 and 2021 drafts.

The Oilers will retain 10 per cent of Gagner’s US$3.15-million salary. The 30-year-old can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The trade was the second between Edmonton and Detroit in less than 12 hours ahead of Monday’s 3 p.m. ET deadline after the Oilers acquired defenceman Mike Green for a conditional fourth-round pick in 2020.

Edmonton (33-22-7) currently sits second in the Pacific Division with 73 points, three back of the Vegas Golden Knights for first, but also just three points up on the Arizona Coyotes for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Detroit (15-45-4), which is in full rebuild mode, became the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention before the trade deadline since the 2003-04 Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.

Gagner had five goals and 12 points in 36 games with the Oilers this season.

Kuffner, 23, has zero points in 10 career NHL appearances.