As Blackhawks' cap space tightens, GM Kyle Davidson must avoid contract mistakes like Andreas Athanasiou

Since signing a two-year contract with a $4.25 million salary-cap hit in the summer of 2023, Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou has appeared in only 33 games and scored only two goals.

The contract has been a total whiff for general manager Kyle Davidson, who struck gold when signing Athanasiou the first time (to a one-year contract with a $3 million cap hit in the summer of 2022) but struck granite the second time.

The Hawks finally put Athanasiou on waivers Monday, then assigned him to Rockford of the AHL after he cleared them Tuesday. No other franchise would have considered claiming him with that cap hit.

‘‘We need him to just go play some games and get his skill matched up with his confidence,’’ coach Luke Richardson said Monday. ‘‘That’s sometimes not fun or easy to hear, but when people go through the hard ways to get back to where they want to be . . . it’s pretty gratifying.’’

Most of Athanasiou’s missed time last season was because of a groin injury that sidelined him from November to March, and there was optimism he could rediscover his old form once he returned. After all, he was the leading scorer left on the Hawks’ roster at the end of the 2022-23 season after finishing with 20 goals and 20 assists.

That didn’t prove to be the case. He had five points in 17 games down the stretch last season, then found himself unable to crack the Hawks’ improved lineup this season, sitting out as a healthy scratch in all but five games and notching zero points.

The injury might have permanently reduced Athanasiou’s blazing speed — the one trait that historically had made him a useful player — and Richardson clearly had lost trust in him. His defensive deficiencies make him difficult to deploy in a bottom-six role, and his brief October tryout as the Hawks’ second-line center quickly was abandoned.

‘‘I talked to him,’’ captain Nick Foligno said. ‘‘I think he’s disappointed. He has been a good teammate. He has handled himself really well through not playing. That’s the unfortunate part of the business.’’

In Rockford, Athanasiou might be a dynamic linemate for top prospect Frank Nazar — at least against AHL-caliber defenses — and his cap hit will reduce slightly to $3.1 million. But it still will be an ugly mark on the Hawks’ books.

Fortunately, the Hawks aren’t tight to the cap ceiling, with about $5.8 million of space right now, according to PuckPedia. They’re also unlikely to add any additional salary because they almost certainly will be sellers again at the trade deadline, so that wasted money won’t matter much.

But in future seasons — once the Hawks are trying to contend, entering seasons close to the cap and seeking to acquire extra talent near the deadline — Davidson will have to avoid mistakes such as Athanasiou’s contract.

The same goes for T.J. Brodie’s contract, which might be even worse because the veteran defenseman — who largely has fallen out of the Hawks’ rotation — has two years remaining at $3.75 million.

In an alternate universe, those wasted millions could prevent the Hawks from acquiring a much-needed role-filler for a playoff push or squeeze them into a jam that prevents them from calling up short-term injury replacements.

Davidson inevitably will make some ill-advised signings in the future. The NHL’s guaranteed-contract structure and the unpredictability of player performance make 100% financial efficiency impossible. But minimizing the number of those will be crucial.

The Hurricanes are a great model. They’re an elite team in part because they have zero buried or bought-out contracts, zero retained-salary commitments, no egregiously overpaid players and quite a few below-market-value contracts.

Davidson often mentions how much he appreciates and values cap flexibility. He soon will have to demonstrate he can preserve it.