Zadina probably starting out in GR

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I've just looked through a list of Red Wings draft picks - Was Yzerman the last Red Wings player to make the team right out of the draft?

Probably. Dandenault and LArkin were close though. Hell, didn't Larkin only play in the AHL playoffs with GR?

Mantha had a shot at it before he broke his leg. Zadina had a shot this year, but he wasn't physically ready. League was an entirely different beast when Yzerman made it in the 80s.

 

[izlez]

Of everything you could've pointed out, this is what urks you?

Holy overreaction, Batman.

Is it the ONE thing? No. But I thought it was worth a mention in addition to my concerns (in limited viewings/small sample sizes) that have already been touched on.

In my opinion, he hasn't played good hockey in camp/preseason. He has put himself in dangerous situations. I'm not impressed by his Youtube highlights from Junior. I don't like his attitude after being sent down. And to me, this looks like he embellished big time.

Am I writing his career off right now? Absolutely not. But I am voicing my concern that I am not a fan of this player right now. And I feel the need to speak up more about it with people complaining that he didn't make the Wings out of camp

 

[ThankGord]

Zadina starting the season in the AHL is so normal, everything is FINE. I'm excited to see him tear it up on the Griffins in my backyard.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Is it the ONE thing? No. But I thought it was worth a mention in addition to my concerns (in limited viewings/small sample sizes) that have already been touched on.

In my opinion, he hasn't played good hockey in camp/preseason. He has put himself in dangerous situations. I'm not impressed by his Youtube highlights from Junior. I don't like his attitude after being sent down. And to me, this looks like he embellished big time.

Am I writing his career off right now? Absolutely not. But I am voicing my concern that I am not a fan of this player right now. And I feel the need to speak up more about it with people complaining that he didn't make the Wings out of camp

That's why he's in GR and not Detroit. I don't understand. Most people kind of get it that he shouldn't have made the Wings out of camp. He wasn't physically ready to do it. Anyone complaining that he didn't make it is someone who's opinion I don't feel the need to acknowledge. Pat Caputo on the radio last night was pulling the "ZOMG Zadina should be up with the Wings and it's such a miscarriage of justice, because his shot is so much better than the rest of the players on the team." Ken Kal put out the much more reasonable, you watch Zadina play and you see a kid who wasn't ready right now, but give him 15-20 games at GR playing every night getting used to the rigors and you re-assess. Zadina didn't do enough in the preseason to make it a no-brainer to have him stay in Detroit, which is what it should be if you're having a guy enter the league from the draft. If you have ANY questions about their ability to compete right away, that player shouldn't open the season on the roster.

He will be much further ahead getting to be the ****ing man in Grand Rapids and rip it up while getting used to bigger, faster skaters than the Q than to have him come up and get 12 minutes a night with at best Frans Nielsen and Justin Abdelkader on his line. You lose nothing by having 18 year old Zadina play for even a month or two in Grand Rapids as opposed to starting in Detroit in October.

 

[KJoe88]

And since I got the ball rolling, I might as well continue to pile on and get all my frustrations out now.

Can we talk about this play?



Ugly play by the defender, but he missed. Zadina barely got brushed. He stays down on the ice and goes to the locker room with the trainer. And surprise! He's completely fine and doesn't miss a shift. Just another red flag in my mind of a player I've been very disappointed in so far in this short time

What about his OT against Boston?

His effort in that period gave me great faith in the guy. His backcheck to make up for Glendening’s iffy pass was awesome. Already decent defensively and he’s only 18. Then right after he scores a beauty one-timer.

His IQ is extremely high. His effort is good and wants to improve and he adjusted slowly throughout the pre-season. Never gives up on a play, but right now is a bit weak; he’ll end up way stronger. Also, his shot is disgustingly powerful. His skating is decent. Sometimes he reminds me of Datsyuk as crazy as it sounds.

The one thing he needs to work on is his balance and needs to get stronger. The AHL will do that for him.

He is a top three talent. The other teams who passed on him besides the obvious two are dummies.

 

[Obe2kenobe]

Probably. Dandenault and LArkin were close though. Hell, didn't Larkin only play in the AHL playoffs with GR?

Mantha had a shot at it before he broke his leg. Zadina had a shot this year, but he wasn't physically ready. League was an entirely different beast when Yzerman made it in the 80s.

Larkin had a year at U-M after he was drafted.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Larkin had a year at U-M after he was drafted.

Yeah, and Dandenault only played a year with his team in the Q before he came here.

I was stating that in terms of AHL time, Larkin hardly played there. They were close in that they played very little at the A or none at all but they didn't jump right to the league like Stevie did.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

GR is the right place for him at this point. He needs to mature a bit physically and to pick up a half-step in his feet (like just about all 18-year-olds). When he does that he will be fine. We should all be thankful we aren't forced to send him back to Halifax. Oh, and he will never be the most entertaining player in the organization. That just isn't his game.

 

[Frk It]

Oh, and he will never be the most entertaining player in the organization. That just isn't his game.

????

Did you watch the WJC last year????

 

[KJoe88]

????

Did you watch the WJC last year????

I didn’t.

But I don’t have the means to. Wish I could’ve.

Was he brilliant?

 

[Ezekial]

I didn’t.

But I don’t have the means to. Wish I could’ve.

Was he brilliant?

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Zadina is like the Rock. He is the most electrifying entertainer in sports entertainment. But with hockey instead.

 

[ThankGord]

Not entertaining? What's more entertaining than goals?

 

[Winger98]

Probably. Dandenault and LArkin were close though. Hell, didn't Larkin only play in the AHL playoffs with GR?

Mantha had a shot at it before he broke his leg. Zadina had a shot this year, but he wasn't physically ready. League was an entirely different beast when Yzerman made it in the 80s.

Fischer. I don't know if he started the year in Cincy but he only played seven games down there while playing over 50 games with the wings in 99. Primeau might have made the jump, too, but went back to the AHL later.

 

[Martinez]

“That’s a short stick he has, but he sure knows how to handle it”

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

????

Did you watch the WJC last year????

Yup and a dozen times in the Q. I will let you decide if "entertaining" is the right word or not, but at the NHL level he is not going to have the puck on his stick for long stretches of time. If you are expecting him to play like Pav or Z or Larkin or even AA you are going to be disappointed. The kid isn't going to skate 180 feet with the puck. This does not, however, mean he won't be a super productive player at the NHL level. That is an entirely different concept. Not everyone plays the game the same way.

 

[Frk It]

Yup and a dozen times in the Q. I will let you decide if "entertaining" is the right word or not, but at the NHL level he is not going to have the puck on his stick for long stretches of time. If you are expecting him to play like Pav or Z or Larkin or even AA you are going to be disappointed. The kid isn't going to skate 180 feet with the puck. This does not, however, mean he won't be a super productive player at the NHL level. That is an entirely different concept. Not everyone plays the game the same way.

I don’t consider that the only way to be entertaining, no.

He might not go end to end but he’s going to make guys miss and make plays in the offensive zone. I agree he’s not going to be like the guys you listed, but I think he has the skill set to be like a Forsberg or Tarasenko, who I consider a treat to watch.

He’s going to have to add to his skating, but I’m confident he’s going to make some plays on the PP every night that make you shake your head (in a good way.). Kid is really creative and he has no fear.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

 

[obey86]

I'm disappointed... IN the organization. He should be on the team honestly I don't get it. You don't draft him really if you dont think he's capable of playing day 1.

Evan Bouchard should prolly be on this team right now if Zadina wasn't/isn't good enough to crack the lineup year 1.

Idk, also just about had it with Blashill and crew honestly. I get Ehn is young but wow... Ehn over Zadina for a checking role with Adelkader on a 2nd or 3rd line? Idk... really dumbing this team down imo.

Huh? Bad take. Most 18 year olds don't make the team in the year they are drafted. There are only a few each year that go immediately to the NHL.

 

[RedWingzz]

Kids a bust..trade him for a 5th rounder or Zac Rinaldo

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Zadina was looking better and better each game in preseason, which means he is fast learner. His game style looks like Kutcherov with little bit of Datsyuk like puckhandling, i watched every single preseason game with him and boys i am telling you, he has some insane hands. He will tear AHL apart, he just needs to take on some muscles, and he played basically just one year on NA ice in juniors without any experience in pro hockey. And one more thing i want to say is, that i dont understand why they didn´t use him on PP, i think he would be already absolutely lethal in nhl on PP.

 

[Snuggs]

Huh? Bad take. Most 18 year olds don't make the team in the year they are drafted. There are only a few each year that go immediately to the NHL.

I guess my take is you don't draft him over Bouchard if you don't think he can start year 1. I just thought getting top defensemen was or should of been a priority and really like Bouchard. I was buying that he was that special, and it was amazing he fell to the Red Wings. I liked the pick even.

I can understand normally whats happening here, I've heard all valid points, but I just can't come to grips with being like "yeah I'm cool with developing a top 6 winger over a top 4 right handed defensemen". Idk, someone said all things equal Zadina should have the better career. I hope so, hopefully he's not a Tatar'esk like player/winger.

I also might have bought into he's a little more special that advertised even. I liked the selection at the time, but now that I'm seeing he could need a year or two in the AHL I waive my hands like, what the heck was wrong with Bouchard then? or Hughes even...

 

[Ezekial]

So you think Bouchard would've been a slam dunk to make the team over Cholowski, Sulak, Hronek, and Hicketts? I'm not so sure about that. Probably would've sent him back to London.

 

[ThankGord]

Zadina isn't expected to be a Top 6 winger, he's expected to be Elite. That's why we didn't pass on him.

 

[jkutswings]

It's not about this season.

If Bouchard eventually becomes a top pairing D, while Zadina tops out around 50 points a year, that's a bad pick. But if Z2 eventually flirts with PPG stats, while Bouchard is just a solid middle pair guy, then it's a win, no matter how long the learning curve.

It's all about the long term payout.