Red Wings forward Filip Zadina has cleared waivers, and he will remain a member of the Red Wings’ organization:
Filip Zadina cleared waivers.@DailyFaceoff
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 4, 2023
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirms:
Zadina clears
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 4, 2023
As does TSN’s Chris Johnston:
Filip Zadina (DET) clears waivers.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) July 4, 2023
Zadina, who was selected sixth overall in the 2018 NHL Draft, posted three goals and seven points in 30 games with the Red Wings last season. He also appeared in two games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, posting one goal.
Yzerman said Monday he still believes Zadina can develop into a full-time NHL player.
The winger had 10 goals and 24 points in a career-high 74 games with the Red Wings in 2021-22. He has 28 goals and 68 points in 190 career NHL games.
And MLive’s Ansar Khan:
Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina cleared waivers Tuesday, but his future with the organization remains in doubt.
General manager Steve Yzerman said on Monday that Zadina had requested a trade a few weeks ago, seeking a fresh start with another organization. But there was no interest. His contract (two years remaining at a cap hit of $1.825 million) coupled with his struggles on the ice precluded teams from claiming him on waivers.
It’s doubtful Yzerman will find a trade partner this offseason. So, Zadina, 23, will come to training camp and try to earn a spot on the roster. If he doesn’t make the cut, he’ll be waived again and, if he clears, assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Here’s Helene St. James…
Yzerman explained Monday that Zadina was placed on waivers after the Wings were unable to find a trading partner in an attempt to satisfy Zadina’s request.
“A couple weeks prior to the draft, through his agent, he had asked if he could potentially go someplace else, looking for more opportunity, a fresh start,” Yzerman said. “I haven’t been able to do that.”
Yzerman signed Zadina to a three-year, $5,475,000 contract in August 2022. Zadina was drafted by former Wings general manager Ken Holland at No. 6 in 2018, billed as a scorer who could be a potential difference-maker. But he has struggled to even become a regular, posting just 28 goals and 40 assists in 190 career games; his best outing came in 2021-22 when he posted 14 goals and 24 points in 74 games.
Zadina, 23, was supposed to get a fresh start when new head coach Derek Lalonde came in last year, but Zadina was a healthy scratch the first two games. Then came a leg injury that limited him to 30 games (three goals, four assists).
Update #2: Here’s Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:
“The best case scenario, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility, is that he clears waivers, he comes to training camp, he plays well, works his way up into the lineup and goes,” Yzerman said. “Filip Zadina is a good young man, he’s a nice young man. He was a high and with high picks there comes expectations from the outside and from within. He was picked sixth overall. He’s told by the Red Wings and by the league that he’s a very good prospect. Not everybody matures or evolves at the same stage. He’s gotta stick with it. And unfortunately now, the situation is if he doesn’t get claimed, he’s with our organization and there’s not much we can do other than both work hard and see if he can become a player.”
