The Athletic’s Max Bultman asks three questions about the Red Wings this morning, and one of his questions involves Filip Zadina’s trajectory as a player:
What to make of Filip Zadina’s season — and new role?
This is by far the most-asked question I’ve gotten over the first six weeks of this hockey season. And I’m going to start my answer by telling you about two players.
Player A just turned 22 years old and is currently carrying an on-ice expected goals for percentage of 55% at 5-on-5 (score and venue adjusted). That’s a high-end number. What’s more, his on-ice, 5-on-5 actual goals-for percentage is even better — just above 56 percent for the year, according to Evolving Hockey. Both marks rank in the top-five on his team at that young age.
Player B is a former sixth overall pick who has just three goals and seven points in 22 games. His 6.4 shooting percentage can give the impression of unluckiness. And it’s likely no coincidence that frustration has risen this season, as super-rookie Lucas Raymond has stormed onto the scene with instant offense.
To top it off, Zadina skated on Detroit’s fourth line in the last game, alongside Carter Rowney and Sam Gagner — though at the same time, 6.4% is also the second-highest mark of this player’s career, with his career average at just 8.1 percent. That makes it look less unlucky and more like his reality.
If you follow the Red Wings, you’ll of course already know that both of these players are Filip Zadina. The young forward poses a fascinating case study in perception, because even though those two profiles paint glaringly different pictures, all of the above information is true about the same player.
Continued (paywall)
