The Detroit Red Wings have placed forward Filip Zadina on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Zadina, the sixth-overall pick at the 2018 draft, has two years remaining on his $1.825MM AAV contract. A lethal scorer at the junior level with the Halifax Mooseheads, Zadina turned pro immediately after the draft and spent his rookie professional season in the AHL.
He scored at a solid clip with Grand Rapids, potting 16 goals and 35 points in 59 games, a very respectable total for a teenage AHL rookie. He also scored three points in nine NHL for the Red Wings that year, flashing his offensive talent and showcasing why the consensus among scouts was that he would end up a star forward.
Zadina’s 2019-20 season was not a resounding leap forward but a solid step nonetheless, though as the pandemic wreaked havoc on pro hockey around the world Zadina’s development path was affected.
He never found a rhythm in his first season of full-time NHL duty and finished with 19 points in 49 games.
2021-22 was a continuation of Zadina’s struggles from the year before, and in his first full-length season in the NHL he managed only 10 goals and 24 points. Then this past season Zadina only played in 30 NHL games and scored just seven points.
Set to turn 24 next November, it’s been clear for some time that a change of scenery would likely be necessary for Zadina to reach his potential at the NHL level.
With Jonatan Berggren a more effective winger at the NHL level and the Red Wings signing Daniel Sprong in free agency, Zadina simply ran out of chances on Detroit’s roster.
Drafted by a previous regime led by current Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland, Zadina’s draft status was only going to get him so far, and now he’ll either be claimed by another NHL franchise or likely begin the season in the AHL hoping to earn a call-up if other wingers ahead of him on the pecking order struggle or get injured.
While his $1.825MM cap hit isn’t a massive number, in a flat-cap environment where so many teams are counting every last dollar available to them Zadina’s contract likely reduces the number of teams willing to acquire him by a decent degree.
Now all 31 other clubs will get a chance to add Zadina, and it remains to be seen if any team is confident enough in their development staff and what remains of Zadina’s former top prospect luster to take a chance on the final two years of his contract.
Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
He’s gonna look good on a line with Bedard and Hall.
Mantha…Vrana…Zadina…
Yeah, barring an issue with the player himself, gotta point a finger at DET player development…
Nope. Holland took this kid instead of Quinn Hughes.
Couldn’t hurt for the blues to pick him up
He plays awfully small.
He plays very smallish.
Another Kenny Holland bust…imagine that
trotz….
Of course in hindsight Wings should have drafted Quinn Hughes instead of Zadina as he was falling for a reason, but apparently Holland was tone deaf to what was happening. Can’t blame this one on Yzerman all of you YzerPlan haters out there
MTL ??
I’d say MTL. Philly or Arizona.
Definitely the right call, Fabbri should be next!
I knew that Debrincat for Zadina and picks rumor was bogus. No one wants this scrub.
He sucked
Holland’s 3rd 1st round bust! Thank goodness for Yzerman & the Yzerplan!