At 6th Overall the Red Wings Take Filip Zadina

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

I wonder how many points Zadina could score playing with McDavid/Draisaitl as linemates?

Remember when everyone was convinced AA could score 40 goals and 75 points next to McDavid?

 

[mikerooooose]

Can the league allow Zadina an exemption to play in the Olympics? Maybe playing against Chinese goalies will boost his confidence.

Has to hit the net first, lol

 

[ConnorMcBackcheck]

Frk and Pulkkinen had harder, more accurate shots than Zadina.

 

[Oddbob]

Do we really need to run the kid down on a fun 6-2 win game? This reads more like you love that he sucks then it does pointing out anything of value. Never seen people rooting so hard for a guy to fail on this section. Give it a rest.

 

[Gniwder]

The bust is a healthy scratch tonight vs Sharks.

He's waivers exempt until he gets 23 more NHL games. They should really just send him down for a few games, maybe call up Pearson for a 4th line audition.

 

[Retire91]

I just don't understand those that are holding onto the optimism. Points are not everything but these are not even mediocre points. Someone who is a future top 6 players would put up more than 10 points in 32 games even on a bad season. I am all for hoping for a late blooming but I think some people are taking the blue pill.

 

[Oddbob]

He's waivers exempt until he gets 23 more NHL games. They should really just send him down for a few games, maybe call up Pearson for a 4th line audition.

I would be fine if they sent him to the AHL for 5-10 games and see if he can get some confidence. I honestly think if a couple of goals would go in for him, that might be the shot in the arm he needs.

 

[Oddbob]

I just don't understand those that are holding onto the optimism. Points are not everything but these are not even mediocre points. Someone who is a future top 6 players would put up more than 10 points in 32 games even on a bad season. I am all for hoping for a late blooming but I think some people are taking the blue pill.

He is still young and some guys take awhile. I would rather hold out hope than rag on the kid every single night. For some it seems like Zadina shot their dog with how much they seem to hate him. I think he will be traded by this time next year though. Blash doesn't really like him at all, and you can tell with how he gets used. We are all frustrated he isn't scoring.

 

[lilidk]

Frk and Pulkkinen had harder, more accurate shots than Zadina.

I don't think so, especially Pulky

 

[Gniwder]

I don't think so, especially Pulky

Pulky's problem was his huge windup. Accuracy was fine, he just had most of them blocked in the NHL.

 

[ConnorMcBackcheck]

Many fans have been overcompensating with optimism shown to Zadina based simply on not wanting to be wrong about Zadina being superior pick over Quinn Hughes at the time. Even if the organization was leaning toward Bouchard instead, the need for defenseman was apparent for years.

Tyler Wright was horrible at his job.

 

[HisNoodliness]

Many fans have been overcompensating with optimism shown to Zadina based simply on not wanting to be wrong about Zadina being superior pick over Quinn Hughes at the time. Even if the organization was leaning toward Bouchard instead, the need for defenseman was apparent for years.

Tyler Wright was horrible at his job.

We'd all rather have Hughes. I just don't see why you'd possibly care at this point. Wright and Holland sucked. They're also gone. We can't have Hughes. We do have Zadina. He's a fine player and has the potential still to be a good one. Maybe he won't be. I don't see why half the board is so ready to gleefully root against him

 

[ConnorMcBackcheck]

We'd all rather have Hughes. I just don't see why you'd possibly care at this point. Wright and Holland sucked. They're also gone. We can't have Hughes. We do have Zadina. He's a fine player and has the potential still to be a good one. Maybe he won't be. I don't see why half the board is so ready to gleefully root against him

Because there have been a parade of squandered potential associated with the Holland regime and Zadina/Ras are the last holdovers. Zadina “could” get better or Yzerman could trade him for futures and get his own guy. He moved on from Mantha when many people still thought the guy had 50 goal potential and he’s managed to perform even worse in his limited time in Washington.

 

[nhlisawesome]

Trade the bust for anything please

 

[Gniwder]

We'd all rather have Hughes. I just don't see why you'd possibly care at this point. Wright and Holland sucked. They're also gone. We can't have Hughes. We do have Zadina. He's a fine player and has the potential still to be a good one. Maybe he won't be. I don't see why half the board is so ready to gleefully root against him

We're not rooting against him so much as we've given up on him. I get that the other half of the board is still holding out hope that he still develops into a top six winger, but at this point he's the forward equivalent of Cholowski:
- Not physical and avoids contact
- Doesn't win puck battles
- Thinks too slow for the NHL
- Isn't fast enough to compensate for the slow thought process
- Underwhelming overall hockey IQ, on both sides of the ice
- No physical attribute or skill that compensates for lack of IQ

So much like Svech and Cholo, the half that have given up hope will wind up arguing with the other half that think pre-draft assessment still holds validity. That's where we're at. A really poor man's Gagner, at least Sam will try to fight, lol, plus at 32 he's still outproducing Zadina while playing on a lower line.

 

[Henkka]

I would be fine if they sent him to the AHL for 5-10 games and see if he can get some confidence. I honestly think if a couple of goals would go in for him, that might be the shot in the arm he needs.

I'd try the AHL for him. This is an odd case. Or maybe year at Europe.

Maybe swedish development is the answer for him.

 

[Hoog]

Hey, not all first rounders make it, especially from the previous regime. I have hopes he gets the switch turned on for his scoring but we need 3rd and 4th line bodies too. His defensive skills were getting much better till these last 2 games so I think he could be decent there. Wish him luck as he seems like a good dude.

 

[RedWingzz]

What do you guys even think his value is at this point? Could a team looking to boost their top 9 realistically offer us a late 1st for him at this point, or is that over-value for him?

I mean, surely someone out there is willing to give something of value up to see if a change of scenery can spark him.

Zadina to Colorado for their 2023 1st and a 2022 3rd? Wishful thinking?

 

[Vitto79]

Rangers fan here . Zadina for Chytil or Kravtsov fair ?

 

[Ezekial]

Rangers fan here . Zadina for Chytil or Kravtsov fair ?

The people that want to trade him want a magic bean for him, not another struggling 21 year old player.
At least with the magic bean they can jerk off to his junior tape after he's drafted and then if he sucks they can just complain about him. They like that first part the most.

 

[Gniwder]

Rangers fan here . Zadina for Chytil or Kravtsov fair ?

Kravtsov is a hard sell because he doesn't want to earn his ice time. I'd consider Chytil though.

What do you guys even think his value is at this point? Could a team looking to boost their top 9 realistically offer us a late 1st for him at this point, or is that over-value for him?

I mean, surely someone out there is willing to give something of value up to see if a change of scenery can spark him.

Zadina to Colorado for their 2023 1st and a 2022 3rd? Wishful thinking?

Wishful thinking, if anyone offered up any 1st, Stevie would have jumped on it by now. He knows what he's looking at, a smaller, slower, weaker, softer Brett Connolly.

 

[NickH8]

I agree with sending him down for a 5 game confidence building assignment. I think we've got a good third line defensive forward in him, but obviously we should be trying to unlock what's left of his scoring potential. Once he's scored a bit in the AHL call him back up and put him back in the top 6 and PP, give him every opportunity to score. If he still can't score then we play him on the third/fourth line.

 

[NickH8]

I agree with sending him down for a 5 game confidence building assignment. I think we've got a good third line defensive forward in him, but obviously we should be trying to unlock what's left of his scoring potential. Once he's scored a bit in the AHL call him back up and put him back in the top 6 and PP, give him every opportunity to score. If he still can't score then we play him on the third/fourth line.

Sidenote: If he can't figure it out before Vrana returns he's screwed.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

What do you guys even think his value is at this point? Could a team looking to boost their top 9 realistically offer us a late 1st for him at this point, or is that over-value for him?

I mean, surely someone out there is willing to give something of value up to see if a change of scenery can spark him.

Zadina to Colorado for their 2023 1st and a 2022 3rd? Wishful thinking?

He was a high pedigree prospect on an affordable deal. He's also only 22. Some team would take a flyer on him that's looking for cheap depth. I don't see him going to a contender in a trade, but another rebuilding squad.

If the fear is he's going the way of Lias Andersson then we're lucky to get a 2nd. I don't think we're at this point yet. Zadina is currently a better NHLer than Lias but isn't a world beater by any stretch.

If there is thought of him turning it around with a new organization (A team like Buffalo, Arizona, Montreal) where he could likely slot into their top 6 and get a shot then maybe he gets a B or B+ level prospect.

If there is a team with a struggling prospect or young NHLer of their own it could be a 1-for-1 swap.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Sidenote: If he can't figure it out before Vrana returns he's screwed.

I have hope that Vrana coming back is the solution for more than it is an obstacle.

I still think Yzerman makes some sell moves, maybe that includes Zadina, but other names like Erne, Namestnikov, Fabbri, Rasmussen at the forward position. Hell, I still wouldn’t rule out Bertuzzi although I would be surprised.

But Vrana adds self creation and one touch scoring ability to a team that doesn’t have enough of it. Maybe that helps out Zadina click. Maybe that forces him to stay down the lineup but with somewhat talented players as opposed to what we will see tonight in Gagner and Smith.

I find it interesting how Blashill scratches Zadina and says sometimes players need a reset and change their perspective. Says it’s not an effort thing, says he likes how Zadina is playing, he’s playing the right game, but he needs to produce before he loses all hope. And the solution to help find that solution? Probably 10 minutes tonight with two players void of talent. It feels a lot like what we did with Svechnikov last year, and to be honest, it was more offensive last year because the team had no reason to not let Svechnikov have more opportunity.

I do have the growing feeling that Zadina may be an odd man out next year at this rate. Rightly or wrongly