The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted two morning columns today. In her first column, St. James spoke with new Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde regarding a necessary reset for Filip Zadina:
When a player with high expectations underachieves, common thinking is that a change of scenery may offer a chance to reboot.
In Filip Zadina’s case, the change of scenery isn’t location but elocution: It’ll be the voice of new Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde who tries to find out if there’s more to Zadina than he has shown in three disappointing seasons.
“Each kid has a different ‘why,’ what makes them tick,” Lalonde told the Free Press. “The beauty of a coaching change is, it’s a new voice and a fresh start. No matter what, everyone will have a fresh start. Sometimes just a reset is healthy for a guy like that.”
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“A reset will be start for him, and then it will be my job to get the most out of him,” Lalonde said. “It starts with building some trust, ad then to try to get the most out of him.”
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Lalonde, hired June 30, hasn’t had much time to study video yet, but the 2021 pandemic-impacted schedule meant he has seen a great deal of Zadina while an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Zadina has been at his most productive against Lalonde’s former team: In 14 career games against the Lightning, Zadina has a goal and eight assists. (He’s played 12 times against the Columbus Blue Jackets and only has one point, and has four points in 12 games against the Florida Panthers).
“I’ve seen him play a ton, but I haven’t done enough on video yet, and that’s on my to-do list,” Lalonde said. “I want to get a little better feel for all the players.”
Continued (paywall)
