Contract over: Filip Zadina leaves a lot of money on the table in Detroit

In the 2018 draft, Filip Zadina was seen as one of the top prospects of the crop.

That year, the Habs held the 3rd overall pick, which they used to select Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Zadina had been linked to the CH in certain rumours, and when he was drafted 6th overall by the Red Wings… He had said out loud that every time he played at the Bell Centre, he would enjoy scoring lots of goals.

Yikes. Let’s just say the story hasn’t aged well.

After all, Zadina never lived up to expectations in Detroit. He was never able to establish himself as an NHL talent as he had predicted, so much so that the Red Wings placed him in the lottery a few days ago.

Which is saying a lot: the player has not been claimed by any NHL team.

Zadina and the Wings reached an agreement to terminate his contract. This allows him to become a free agent and test the autonomous player market…

But it’s particularly interesting when you realize that he’s leaving $4.56 million (the money remaining on his contract) on the table to invest in himself.

The kid is confident in his ability to bounce back elsewhere… And I respect that 100%.

It takes guts to do that.

After all, I don’t know many people who would drop (around) $4.5M just like that.

It just shows that he believes in himself, and frankly, that’s worth mentioning.

Now all that remains is to see what awaits him on the market. Agreed, he’ll make less money than he did under his old Red Wings contract ($1.825M per season), and he could be an interesting gamble for a team looking to add an intriguing player to its club.

We know that the development of some players is more complicated than others. Maybe that’s the case with Zadina… But maybe it’s not.

The idea of seeing him return to Europe is also on the table. Usually, when players are placed on the unconditional ballot, it doesn’t look good for the rest of their NHL career…

But on the other hand, Zadina is only 23. Again, this would be a low-risk gamble for any club willing to sign him…

But that’s if NHL executives think he deserves a chance to shine.

We’ll have to keep an eye on what happens next.

Breaking news

– We agree that it’s a little too early to ask the question.

– Minor signing in St. Louis.

CHA-CHING! we’ve signed Hugh McGing to a one-year deal 💰 #stlblues https://t.co/RLpZoth1Io

– St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) July 6, 2023

– Love the idea.

– Nicely done.

Kobe Bryant is the cover athlete for NBA 2K24. 💜💛

📸: @NBA2K pic.twitter.com/yrmjZkaILN

– Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 6, 2023