Confirmed Signing with Link: [SJS] F Filip Zadina signs with the Sharks (1 year, $1.1M)

[FriendlyGhost92]

Is this the same guy Red Wings selected ahead of Hughes?

Are you under the impression that 90% of Detroit fans wont willingly shit on the dynamic duo of Ken Holland and Tyler Wright when it came to drafting?

 

[krutovsdonut]

Zadina was a no brainer pick at the time. 9/10 times, a GM is going to take the prospect rated #3 for majority of the year at 6th overall. Especially over the more riskier, smaller player who was ranked 6th-9th overall.

that doesn't really answer my point that scouting is hard. and if he was #3 and a no brainer, why did 3, 4 and 5 pass him by?

nhl scouting groups don't pick according to consensus public draft lists. they pick based on their own scouting. no team had a better look at scouting hughes than detroit, but they missed what was there. then you had the team drafting right behind them so excited to get hughes that they called it a home run right after they picked him. it's just an interesting lesson in how hard amateur scouting can be to get right.

 

[Breakers]

13 points and tied for 2nd worst plus minus in the league.

... Soooo giving up $4.5M over the next two years to sign a $1.1M deal because you thought it was a team problem may not have been the best approach.

OOOFFFF

Massive Darren Ferris L

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

Why? He’s playing for a worse team now. I love that he did it, and hope he keeps getting chances. The Sharks are brutal. You can’t take any of their stats seriously. Duclair was a 30 goal guy two seasons ago.

Did he think it was a team problem or did he just want a fresh start? It’s curious you’re making him out to have a bad attitude.

Zadina had made a little under $4M in his career up to that point. You don't give up $4.5M guaranteed money to have your contract terminated unless you think it's a team problem and that you'll do better somewhere else.

Detroit gave him chances on the top line with Larkin and he was still a dud.

 

[Ezpz]

13 points and tied for 2nd worst plus minus in the league.

... Soooo giving up $4.5M over the next two years to sign a $1.1M deal because you thought it was a team problem may not have been the best approach.

To be fair signing with San Jose and expecting they would even have linemates for you is pretty dumb. You've got hertl and couture, who was injured, then they had nothing whatsoever in terms of established guys.

He signed a month before karlsson was traded and Hoffman was brought in, who basically occupies the same slot and role. Also granlund came from that trade who has taken the "free minutes" role zadina was after.

When he signed only five guys were above him and one was couture who was expected not to start the season. Adding Hoffman and granlund pushed him out of the top six.

You can see the logic at least since you see how well barabonov did last year getting ice time with karlsson, only to be even worse than zadina this year. His plus/minus is the same as hertl who is a hugely valuable piece.

It's doubtful the sharks don't qualify him with all the pending ufas they have so he'll get at least another million next year, whereas he may have ended up in grand rapids with his original contract and less suitors down the road. He may get the chance to play with Will Smith or Celebrini next year and get another extension that will put him ahead of where he was in Detroit while also not playing in the AHL.

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

To be fair signing with San Jose and expecting they would even have linemates for you is pretty dumb. You've got hertl and couture, who was injured, then they had nothing whatsoever in terms of established guys.

He signed a month before karlsson was traded and Hoffman was brought in, who basically occupies the same slot and role. Also granlund came from that trade who has taken the "free minutes" role zadina was after.

When he signed only five guys were above him and one was couture who was expected not to start the season. Adding Hoffman and granlund pushed him out of the top six.

You can see the logic at least since you see how well barabonov did last year getting ice time with karlsson, only to be even worse than zadina this year. His plus/minus is the same as hertl who is a hugely valuable piece.

It's doubtful the sharks don't qualify him with all the pending ufas they have so he'll get at least another million next year, whereas he may have ended up in grand rapids with his original contract and less suitors down the road. He may get the chance to play with Will Smith or Celebrini next year and get another extension that will put him ahead of where he was in Detroit while also not playing in the AHL.

Smith at 19 and Celebrini at 18 are almost certainly less optimal linemates than prime Dylan Larkin, and Zadina did nothing when he was given that chance.

 

[Cas]

Why? He’s playing for a worse team now. I love that he did it, and hope he keeps getting chances. The Sharks are brutal. You can’t take any of their stats seriously. Duclair was a 30 goal guy two seasons ago.

Did he think it was a team problem or did he just want a fresh start? It’s curious you’re making him out to have a bad attitude.

Playing Filip Zadina (and Anthony Duclair) is one of the reasons why the Sharks are brutal.

Zadina is utterly invisible. He contributes nothing offensively or defensively. Unless he suddenly turns into something in the remaining two months of the season, he'll be non-qualified by the worst team in the league this summer.

I have no idea what his attitude is like, and have no reason to care about his draft history. He's simply not an NHL-quality player.

 

[Ezpz]

Smith at 19 and Celebrini at 18 are almost certainly less optimal linemates than prime Dylan Larkin, and Zadina did nothing when he was given that chance.

The difference is Detroit never had the option to run that combo for an entire season regardless of results. They're out of the rebuild trying to make the playoffs. San Jose can let it cook for a year or two without flinching.

 

[innitfam]

Zadina was a no brainer pick at the time. 9/10 times, a GM is going to take the prospect rated #3 for majority of the year at 6th overall. Especially over the more riskier, smaller player who was ranked 6th-9th overall.

I never really understood the whole “Detroit flubbed on Hughes”. In hindsight yeah, but Zadina just completely busted into oblivion.

I remember praying that Zadina would be available at #7 for the Canucks. Had visions of Zadina and Boeser filling the net for years to come. Thankfully history played out the way it did though...

 

[FriendlyGhost92]

The difference is Detroit never had the option to run that combo for an entire season regardless of results. They're out of the rebuild trying to make the playoffs. San Jose can let it cook for a year or two without flinching.

Detroit was clearly not out of the rebuild the last two years that Zadina was getting those opportunities and wasting them lol.

I was an apologist of his for the longest time, but it became evident that, while he's a responsible, well rounded player, he just can't score for shit.

 

[Rowlet]

that doesn't really answer my point that scouting is hard. and if he was #3 and a no brainer, why did 3, 4 and 5 pass him by?

nhl scouting groups don't pick according to consensus public draft lists. they pick based on their own scouting. no team had a better look at scouting hughes than detroit, but they missed what was there. then you had the team drafting right behind them so excited to get hughes that they called it a home run right after they picked him. it's just an interesting lesson in how hard amateur scouting can be to get right.

3 and 5 passed because they went off board to lock in a C, the draft "meta" at the time was everybody looking to lock in centres. 4 passed because they were already expecting to take Tkachuk regardless of the Montreal pick.

We know now that the correct meta in 2018 was to pick D high, but people were desperate to pick centres.

2018 was famously light on centres, only 3 were taken before 18, and Hayton and Kotkaniemi were regularly projected to go in the teens

edit:

2018 NHL Draft Rankings

2018 NHL draft rankings. A compilation of the top NHL draft prospects rankings for the 2018 draft from a variety of NHL scouting service and media outlets.

www.mynhldraft.com

Of the 18 projections here, they all had him in the top 4, he was #3 in almost all

 

[Czechboy]

It's not going well... his hometown club is quite good though!

I admire him for betting on himself. But I'm not sure the bet will ever pay off.

Do not go gently into the dark Filip!

 

[Patty Ice]

was drafted a combined 106 draft slots behind them.

That's an odd way to frame it.

 

[Play]

Zadina was a no brainer pick at the time. 9/10 times, a GM is going to take the prospect rated #3 for majority of the year at 6th overall. Especially over the more riskier, smaller player who was ranked 6th-9th overall.

I never really understood the whole “Detroit flubbed on Hughes”. In hindsight yeah, but Zadina just completely busted into oblivion.

That’s not true, by 2018, the current era of hockey was beginning to form. Lots of fans believed Hughes had a chance to become Scott Niedermayer.

 

[olli]

To be fair, he was the BPA.

Some scouts had him higher than Svechnikov, while most others said he’s the consensus 3rd overall pick. Then Canadiens went off board and drafted Kotkaniemi, Ottawa was taking Tkachuk regardless, and then Arizona goes REALLY off the board and selects Hayton.

So Zadina was the BPA and you probably would take him over the more riskier prospect like Hughes. Hughes was 5’9 160lbs at the time, and the way he’s evolved his game is quite unprecedented in the modern era.

This isn’t the Tkachuk/Juolevi situation. Zadina was by all means, the BPA. He just… busted, and the guy chosen next to him had the craziest development.

I get Hughes has blown past expectations but 5’9 160 really doesn’t seem that small for an 18 year old.

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

That's an odd way to frame it.

Sure, but I assume almost everyone here knows roughly where these guys were drafted and it illustrates just how gaping the difference is. If you'd prefer, you can cut the figure in half and take it as an average.

 

[Ulysses31]

tools but no toolbox type of player, also snaken biten as anyone ive ever seen

 

[LemonSauceD]

I get Hughes has blown past expectations but 5’9 160 really doesn’t seem that small for an 18 year old.

For an 18 year old, it’s quite normal

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I was one of those that let out an expletive on draft night that they didn’t pick Hughes. I thought he was a top 3 talent in terms of Hughes and was lower on Zadina because of his athletic ability.

I will say Zadina never cheated on effort, you always heard the organization and teammates talk about him with high regard. It just hasn’t worked out, I hope he can become a star in Europe and earn a very good living over there. I do think his NHL journey is coming to an end. He doesn’t play fast enough or understand how to find and create space.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Always easy on this site to be a monday morning quarterback!

 

[pth2]

Just about the only guy who can make me feel good about my Habs picking Kotkaniemi... I totally expected Zadina, and expected a 30-goal scoring winger with some grit.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

tools but no toolbox type of player, also snaken biten as anyone ive ever seen

Not really tools, either.

Weak shot.
Below average hockey IQ.
Average skater.
Average frame.
Below average strength.

The dude just isn't an NHLer. He's a bust. Full stop.

 

[WarriorofTime]

I don't think they need to qualify him. Just chasing draft hype from 6 years earlier doesn't mean much. We'll see, he will turn 25 at the start of next season, QO is for $1.1 million.

 

[FightingEmu]

Weak shot? Hes got a shot.

Thing is goalscorers in the modern era need another high end complimentary skill so that they can get that shot off- be it skating/speed, physicality or a ratty side, or some combination of IQ and/or stickhandling- all these things do the same thing- they allow the player to get off their real threat which is their shot. It seems to me that Zadina got his shot off in junior more based off ogf his desperate play style- and that was never going to be a route to sustainable success in the NHL where the dmen get bigger and the defense tightens up. Thats my read anyways- and ftr I agree hes likely a bust- Im just giving ccredit where its at least due- kid can shoot- lol!

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Zadina was a good gamble for the Sharks. It's not working out because his offensive ability doesn't produce enough at the NHL level to ignore his massive defensive deficiencies. If the Sharks are looking to compete better next year, they should probably move on from him and sign some free agent wingers that are good for three or four year contracts.