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

[Frk It]

I don’t buy that we botched his development or that we put him in the NHL too soon.

It’s not like he was 5’10” 170 lbs and looked like a child. He was like 6 foot tall and 200 lbs as of draft night. When you are physically mature and drafted high the team who picked you is going to expect a return on their investment within a few years, welcome to pro sports.

He should have been able to do more in the AHL and NHL, that’s on him.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Not that it matters much anymore, but at least he's saying the right things. I've been saying the Wings brought up Zadina and Cholo too early, which is probably impacting the way they develop Kasper/Ed/etc. Plus Elmer showed a lot of deficiencies in his limited play last season. I still think Kasper plays most of the season in Gr barring major injuries.

Zadina Believes Red Wings Brought Him to NHL Before His Time

Seeking fresh start with San Jose Sharks

detroithockeynow.com

It's summer.... not much else to talk about aside from debating if Seider is elite, lol.

Except it's not really saying the right things. It's more excuses from Zadina.

Ruining the development of players gets way overstated in these parts. People act like a mistake in development ruins a player forever as if they're spoiled fruit. It's more that it's a crapshoot to evaluate prospects and a lot of them turn out not to be NHL calibre.

I can't say I've ever heard a player complain about getting too much ice time in the NHL before though. So that's fun.

Zadina needs to talk less and score more. I was pretty neutral on this guy when he was here but man now am I glad he's gone.

 

[Oddbob]

Except it's not really saying the right things. It's more excuses from Zadina.

Ruining the development of players gets way overstated in these parts. People act like a mistake in development ruins a player forever as if they're spoiled fruit. It's more that it's a crapshoot to evaluate prospects and a lot of them turn out not to be NHL calibre.

I can't say I've ever heard a player complain about getting too much ice time in the NHL before though. So that's fun.

Zadina needs to talk less and score more. I was pretty neutral on this guy when he was here but man now am I glad he's gone.

I don't think he said anything wrong here. He answered honestly. Maybe he was brought up too soon, who knows. If he thinks he wasn't ready, than maybe he wasn't.

 

[DamonDRW]

One of the things I noticed is that he still does't understand how difficult it is to earn money in this world He says he is 23 and have a plenty of time to earn them... Maybe next year is his last year in the NHL, who knows.

 

[Pavels Dog]

He was brought along at a good pace.

D+1: 56 AHL games, 9 NHL games
D+2: 21 AHL games, 28 NHL games
D+3: 17 Czechia games, 49 NHL games
D+4: 74 NHL games

I'm very against rushing prospects but that ain't it.

 

[Henkka]

One of the things I noticed is that he still does't understand how difficult it is to earn money in this world He says he is 23 and have a plenty of time to earn them... Maybe next year is his last year in the NHL, who knows.

He'll get some good money, like 500k on average playing at Europe, for next 10 years.

 

[izlez]

I can't stand this f***ing guy

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I don't think he said anything wrong here. He answered honestly. Maybe he was brought up too soon, who knows. If he thinks he wasn't ready, than maybe he wasn't.

Among other things he said that if you're not two of the best players in the league it's difficult to make a difference.

“I tried my best that time, but if you are not a (Connor) McDavid or (Auston) Matthews, it is difficult to make such a difference,” Zadina explained.

Then consider how someone like Rasmussen handled things considering he played 62 games his first season, whereas Zadina played 9, then 28, then 49 games. It's not like he was thrown in the deep end.

He was brought along at a good pace.

D+1: 56 AHL games, 9 NHL games
D+2: 21 AHL games, 28 NHL games
D+3: 17 Czechia games, 49 NHL games
D+4: 74 NHL games

I'm very against rushing prospects but that ain't it.

Exactly. He makes it sound like he played 80 games at 16+ minutes a night his first season.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

Zadina sucks. That’s such a loser mentality. That's being arrogant and assuming it will come easy, getting slapped in the face by reality that the NHL is f***in hard as hell, and it's looking for someone else to blame.

 

[norrisnick]

Rent.

Free.

 

[jaster]

Zadina is saying all the wrong things, and it's making me glad he's not here anymore. It's everyone else's fault, not mine. Team wasn't good enough to support me. Team brought me up too early. Team skate sharpener was giving me the wrong hollow. Meanwhile, I'm the same guy as 5 years ago, except I'm bigger, faster, and stronger. So the problem obviously isn't with me.

The kid blames everyone else and takes no accountability. Which, when you consider that mentality, it makes sense that he made the largely-panned decision he did this offseason. He bet on himself because he thinks Detroit was the problem and the Sharks are going to be completely different. It's going to be a regretful decision, money-wise.

 

[lilidk]

Zadina was superstar in his mind , now he needs frash start to support that idea

 

[Hen Kolland]

Among other things he said that if you're not two of the best players in the league it's difficult to make a difference.



Then consider how someone like Rasmussen handled things considering he played 62 games his first season, whereas Zadina played 9, then 28, then 49 games. It's not like he was thrown in the deep end.


Exactly. He makes it sound like he played 80 games at 16+ minutes a night his first season.

You quoted the article out of context. He was specifically talking about how unless your name is Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, it is extremely difficult to have a profound impact on an NHL team as a teenager.

And then you bring up Rasmussen as a counter point, but all you've really done is support his point, because Rasmussen was a bigger player with better compete at the same age. Zadina came in playing more time, putting up better numbers. And Rasmussen was sent back to juniors. So it's not like Rasmussen handled things with poise and performance. He was shittier at 19 in the NHL than Zadina was, and all Zadina is saying is that it's a huge ask of a teenager to be influential off the bat.

I think there's some sour grapes in how he complained about not having a consistent role in Detroit and that's why he took a pay cut to play somewhere else. Just because he felt like he was mismanaged before doesn't change the fact that he was still ineffective today, and changing scenery isn't likely to change that.

If it was truly that the Wings didn't have the time to give him a chance, then sure there's a chance that he can discover more, but this is likely a mental thing where he's assigning blame to the team and that he has convinced himself that it can't get better without leaving and starting over.

 

[norrisnick]

Zadina is saying all the wrong things, and it's making me glad he's not here anymore. It's everyone else's fault, not mine. Team wasn't good enough to support me. Team brought me up too early. Team skate sharpener was giving me the wrong hollow. Meanwhile, I'm the same guy as 5 years ago, except I'm bigger, faster, and stronger. So the problem obviously isn't with me.

The kid blames everyone else and takes no accountability. Which, when you consider that mentality, it makes sense that he made the largely-panned decision he did this offseason. He bet on himself because he thinks Detroit was the problem and the Sharks are going to be completely different. It's going to be a regretful decision, money-wise.

Or, you know, sometimes players and organizations just don't fit. To think that sticking with a team that's not working just for money is silly. You folks would all be lined up here bitching that an out was proposed but Zadina decided to sit and get paid instead.

 

[jaster]

Or, you know, sometimes players and organizations just don't fit. To think that sticking with a team that's not working just for money is silly. You folks would all be lined up here bitching that an out was proposed but Zadina decided to sit and get paid instead.

Or, you know, sometimes it's not about fit at all and more about the fact that a player just isn't very good at hockey.

And yes, at this point, as a Red Wings fan I'd be pretty annoyed if Zadina stuck around for money, of course. That doesn't change that Zadina taking the route he did was a bad choice for Zadina.

 

[Retire91]

I think the discussion here is mostly around fault on what happened. I understand sometimes there are bad fits but I have to put the blame on Zadina here. I 100% suspect he is going to be on waivers soon like others have said. He was a 6th overall pick, at that point in the draft it shouldn't take much development. His play style made him a scorer or bust and he couldn't score. He is simply not as good as he was drafted to be and his performance never justified the hype or his own personal statements. He was given a chance he should have been able to run with if he was a legit talent, he proved he was not.

Brett Connolly is someone that comes to mind who was drafted with very high expectations he did not meet, even with a change of scenery he never elevated to a 6th overall but he found a role and roster spot and eventually won a cup. I don't see this path with Zadina, he is going to fail out of the league, total and complete bust.

 

[norrisnick]

Or, you know, sometimes it's not about fit at all and more about the fact that a player just isn't very good at hockey.

And yes, at this point, as a Red Wings fan I'd be pretty annoyed if Zadina stuck around for money, of course. That doesn't change that Zadina taking the route he did was a bad choice for Zadina.

Not if his goal and motivation is to play in the NHL. Most money = best choice is a sad way to go through life.

 

[Retire91]

I do think that is a respectable decision, he could have sat it out and made a few more million, instead he is trying something. I don't think it will work, but I do respect the attempt and honestly wish him the best.

 

[jaster]

Not if his goal and motivation is to play in the NHL. Most money = best choice is a sad way to go through life.

He'll have a better shot in San Jose, will he? He seems sure they are going to play him regularly and not healthy scratch him. Which is a strange thing to believe for a guy who has been on the fringes and no doubt needs his play to back up his daily presence in the lineup. Do you think San Jose guaranteed him anything?

I do think that is a respectable decision, he could have sat it out and made a few more million, instead he is trying something. I don't think it will work, but I do respect the attempt and honestly wish him the best.

Generally speaking, I agree. But in Zadina's case, given his play to this point and his own analysis of the situation, I think he's delusional.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

You quoted the article out of context. He was specifically talking about how unless your name is Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, it is extremely difficult to have a profound impact on an NHL team as a teenager.

And then you bring up Rasmussen as a counter point, but all you've really done is support his point, because Rasmussen was a bigger player with better compete at the same age. Zadina came in playing more time, putting up better numbers. And Rasmussen was sent back to juniors. So it's not like Rasmussen handled things with poise and performance. He was shittier at 19 in the NHL than Zadina was, and all Zadina is saying is that it's a huge ask of a teenager to be influential off the bat.

I think there's some sour grapes in how he complained about not having a consistent role in Detroit and that's why he took a pay cut to play somewhere else. Just because he felt like he was mismanaged before doesn't change the fact that he was still ineffective today, and changing scenery isn't likely to change that.

If it was truly that the Wings didn't have the time to give him a chance, then sure there's a chance that he can discover more, but this is likely a mental thing where he's assigning blame to the team and that he has convinced himself that it can't get better without leaving and starting over.

Actually now that I'm more awake I realize the biggest issue is I don't see anything Zadina actually says that supports the headline.

Here's the Tweet translated via google:

"Five years after he was drafted by Detroit, the breakthrough still hadn't come. Then Filip Zadina made the drastic decision. Now he's opening up about it all. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice something to get something more out of life"

Then none of his actual quotes support the headline's claim he thinks the Wings brought him along too quickly. I still don't quite get his statement about McDavid or Matthews since no one expected him to be that, but still don't take that as "I was brought along too quickly."

The only statements that support the headline are made by the reporter with no supporting quote from Zadina:

Zadina, who opted out of his contract with the Red Wings last month to sign at a much lower rate of pay with the San Jose Sharks, is of the belief that Detroit was in too much of a rush to get him into the NHL.

Then it follows with these statements from Zadina:

“It’s tough for a young rookie to come to a team under rebuilding like Detroit was then."
“Such a team does not have as strong a core as other clubs have. I was happy and lucky that I got the chance in the NHL so early, which I probably wouldn’t have gotten in many other clubs.”

It's a pretty big stretch to take that as a criticism of the Wings development plan for him.

I retract my criticism of the kid and direct it at the clickbait headline and schlock journalism of Detroit Hockey Now.

 

[norrisnick]

He'll have a better shot in San Jose, will he? He seems sure they are going to play him regularly and not healthy scratch him. Which is a strange thing to believe for a guy who has been on the fringes and no doubt needs his play to back up his daily presence in the lineup. Do you think San Jose guaranteed him anything?

Yes. A chance is better than no chance. And you can't ignore the fact that he might simply want to get away from Detroit. Injuries and disappointment. Fresh start without bad memories and half a dozen fewer middle six guys on the roster.

 

[Detroit Knights]

This is one of those thoughts you edit out not in.

i take it you have a sarcasm meter that needs some maintenance?

 

[jaster]

Yes. A chance is better than no chance. And you can't ignore the fact that he might simply want to get away from Detroit. Injuries and disappointment. Fresh start without bad memories and half a dozen fewer middle six guys on the roster.

He had no chance to play regularly in Detroit? Even if his play improved? Because to play regularly in San Jose, 12 fewer middle-6ers or not, his play is going to have to improve.

I can understand wanting a chance at a fresh start, players do it all the time, and some succeed. I'm just predicting it won't work out though. And he'll be out a lot of money. And so, money-wise, it will be regretful.

 

[norrisnick]

He had no chance to play regularly in Detroit? Even if his play improved? Because to play regularly in San Jose, 12 fewer middle-6ers or not, his play is going to have to improve.

I can understand wanting a chance at a fresh start, players do it all the time, and some succeed. I'm just predicting it won't work out though. And he'll be out a lot of money. And so, money-wise, it will be regretful.

If he was told he's in the A to start, sounds like that was a deal breaker for him. Don't blame him one bit. If he can't hang in the NHL there are a handful of leagues I'd prefer over the AHL. Sounds like he feels that same. Money or not.

 

[better Red than Dead]

I translate his comments to mean that he was given opportunities he didn’t deserve which is what a lot of people on this bard had pointed out. He was very pedestrian in the AHL, yet was called up and given to 6 minutes, and he didn’t show much but was still fed top 6 to 9 minutes. Since he was drafted in 18 he never showed even a glimpse of why they drafted him.