Waived: Zadina (Clears) - Contract Terminated, Signs with SJS

[Steve Yzerlland]

So between Zadina and Vrana we will get a conditional 7th round pick. How could it get worse than this?

 

[Run the Jewels]

Since when have teams and their players been able to "mutually agree to terminate a contract" with no penalty for the team or player and what prevents other players in different scenarios (injury, retirement, performance) from doing the same? I though all contracts in the NHL were guaranteed?

Pretty sure the OG on this front was Ilya Kovalchuk. He signed a 17 year deal with New Jersey and then "retired" three years later only to return to the NHL after 5 years in the KHL. That 17 year contract was terminated and just went away.

 

[sepster]

So between Zadina and Vrana we will get a conditional 7th round pick. How could it get worse than this?

It would be worse keeping two toxic/underperforming players in the organization. Removing them and moving on is forward progress.

 

[BinCookin]

Since when have teams and their players been able to "mutually agree to terminate a contract" with no penalty for the team or player and what prevents other players in different scenarios (injury, retirement, performance) from doing the same? I though all contracts in the NHL were guaranteed?

Luongo agreed his contract sucked... But HE still wanted the money.

Most people do not say not to guaranteed money

 

[TCNorthstars]

To be fair, it’s more like being the manager at a high-end restaurant making very good money. They want to demote you to fry cook but you’ll still be making much more than you would anywhere else. Then you get offered a role as a manager at a lower end place, where you’ll be making less money than you do as a fry cook at your current employer, in the (let’s be honest here, dim) hopes you can get your way back to high-end manager.

So you are saying that the Redwings are the high end restaurant and other NHL teams are lower end places?

 

[SimonEdvinssonAtSix]

So you are saying that the Redwings are the high end restaurant and other NHL teams are lower end places?

I think he's saying that Zadinas role in Detroit is fry cook and that's why the food is bad.

 

[A II R]

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

Send that contract to me, Fil. I'll take it ; - )

 

[The Zermanator]

So you are saying that the Redwings are the high end restaurant and other NHL teams are lower end places?

You were comparing his contract with the Wings with his potential contract on another team as being equivalent. Burger King manager = McDonald’s manager. But that’s not the case, the situations are completely different. It’s not a matter of going from one position to an equal position elsewhere. He’ll be taking a big pay cut wherever he ends up, and if he’s not able to hack it he may well be out of the league entirely.

The high-end restaurant is having a guaranteed bag with the Red Wings, whether that’s in the NHL or AHL. The low-end restaurant is taking a league minimum 1yr contract just to be in the NHL, with low odds of it working out.

If the contract termination goes through, there’s really only two possibilities here. 1) He succeeds on his 1yr contract and is able to secure another bag; or 2) he continues on the trajectory he’s been on, and is playing in Europe the following season, having missed out on the majority of what was ultimately the biggest contract of his career. Given what we’ve seen so far from him, which scenario seems more likely to you?

 

[Larkin2AA]

 

[jaster]

My understanding is that even if you mutually agree to terminate a contract, there is still a buyout attached to that. For players under 26yo it is 1/3 of the remaining contract. Zadina is still owed $4.56M on a one-way contract, so by agreeing to terminate the contract, he is actually forgoing $3.04M (regardless if he were to play in Detroit or GR).

That is a ton of money for a guy who every NHL team looked at and said, "do not want." Whatever path he takes from here, I can't imagine he ever recoups that amount.

 

[Frk It]

Wow if he is done here.... just wow.

Probably the most disappointing prospect I have seen us draft. I really thought he was going to be a core piece for us and an impact player in the NHL. Defended him a lot on the prospect forum after we picked him. All for naught, I guess.

After Drouin and Zadina I will definitely have some trust issues with drafting skilled wingers from the Q that tear it up in their draft season.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

It would be worse keeping two toxic/underperforming players in the organization. Removing them and moving on is forward progress.

Vrana was underperforming on the red wings? And where is it verified either of them was "toxic"? Excuse me, what?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

If the contract termination goes through, there’s really only two possibilities here. 1) He succeeds on his 1yr contract and is able to secure another bag; or 2) he continues on the trajectory he’s been on, and is playing in Europe the following season, having missed out on the majority of what was ultimately the biggest contract of his career. Given what we’ve seen so far from him, which scenario seems more likely to you?

Back to Europe playing for his dad's team. I think @Gniwder was also predicting Bustina wouldn't finish his contract in Detroit despite protestations from the Zadina apologists.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

What a f***ing disaster. We literally have burned through high draft picks and solid roster players over the past few years with nothing to show for it... dark times

 

[norrisnick]

My understanding is that even if you mutually agree to terminate a contract, there is still a buyout attached to that. For players under 26yo it is 1/3 of the remaining contract. Zadina is still owed $4.56M on a one-way contract, so by agreeing to terminate the contract, he is actually forgoing $3.04M (regardless if he were to play in Detroit or GR).

That is a ton of money for a guy who every NHL team looked at and said, "do not want." Whatever path he takes from here, I can't imagine he ever recoups that amount.

If this decision to terminate came out of a discussion regarding Zadina's intention to not report to the AHL if assigned, I think that would swing it to article 14 of the SPC rather than article 13. 14, the player just gets paid what was due up to the point of the contract termination. Article 13 basically just outlines the buyout process.

14. The Club may also terminate this SPC upon written notice to the Player (but only after obtaining Waivers from all other Clubs) if the Player shall at any time:

(a) fail, refuse, or neglect to obey the Club's rules governing training and conduct of Players, if such failure, refusal or neglect should constitute a material breach of this SPC. 319 EXHIBIT 1

(b) fail, refuse or neglect to render his services hereunder or in any other manner materially breach this SPC.

In the event of termination under Paragraph 14(a) or (b) the Player shall only be entitled to compensation due to him to the earlier of the date such notice is personally delivered to him or the date such notice is e-mailed to him.

14. (b) would cover refusal to report to wherever he's assigned.

 

[Ricelund]

Watch Kenny sign him for $850k and put him on McDavid's wing...

 

[jaster]

If this decision to terminate came out of a discussion regarding Zadina's intention to not report to the AHL if assigned, I think that would swing it to article 14 of the SPC rather than article 13. 14, the player just gets paid what was due up to the point of the contract termination. Article 13 basically just outlines the buyout process.


14. (b) would cover refusal to report to wherever he's assigned.

Ah, makes sense. So he would be forgoing the entire $4.56M in that case. Wow.

 

[Ricelund]

Ah, makes sense. So he would be forgoing the entire $4.56M in that case. Wow.

Incredibly ballsy move.

Stupid? We'll see. Feels like it.

 

[BinCookin]

He MIGHT still make the NHL somewhere.

As I said, Ballsy move.

Will he get a PTO, 2-way deal, or 1 way deal in Anaheim / Montreal / Chicago???

 

[Ricelund]

He MIGHT still make the NHL somewhere.

As I said, Ballsy move.

Will he get a PTO, 2-way deal, or 1 way deal in Anaheim / Montreal / Chicago???

This has Holland written all over it.

 

[stillwater]

If he's refusing to go to the AHL here, why would he sign a two-way deal with another club?

 

[ShelbyZ]

If he's refusing to go to the AHL here, why would he sign a two-way deal with another club?

The contract can include a clause where he can get assigned to a team in Europe, or he can just go the same route and have the contract terminated if he doesn't want to report.

 

[stillwater]

Right, he's going to sign a two-way deal, and then not report to the AHL ... again.

I'm going to doubt there's a GM dumb enough to be convinced that Zadina would report if sent ... thereby making it extremely doubtful he signs a wink-wink "two-way" deal.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Best of luck to Zadina. I totally respect betting on yourself.