As the NHL trade deadline nears, the Red Wings might be pondering a once-unthinkable question: is it time to deal Filip Zadina?
The sixth overall pick in 2018 has yet to blossom into the goal-scorer many envisioned, and Detroit has a couple talented wingers on the doorstep of the NHL, not to mention the cap space to pursue others this summer. While Zadina's value isn't nearly as high as it once was, Steve Yzerman might be best served flipping him for assets while he still can.
Assets don't have to be draft picks. NHL-ready prospects would be better. An NHL player who can help the Wings now and moving forward, as Zadina was supposed to, would be best. How about a left-handed defenseman to pair with Filip Hronek?
Yzerman plays things incredibly close to the vest -- when's the last time news leaked out of Detroit? -- but "the sense league-wide is a change of scenery is in order for Zadina," per NHL insider Frank Seravalli. He adds that "teams perked up" when the Wings bumped Zadina up to the first line for six games last month, "seeing it as a ‘showcase’ opportunity ahead of a potential trade."
In 101 games over the last two seasons, Zadina has 13 goals. Not great, Bob! Advanced metrics paint him in a more favorable light, but the simple fact is that Zadina is a goal-scorer who's not scoring goals. At the same time, he's 22 years old with the pedigree and the skillset that will hold value in a trade. His runway remains long. But If Yzerman doesn't foresee Zadina taking flight for the Wings -- remember, he wasn't the one who drafted him -- now is a good time to find a deal.
Looking ahead, Detroit has obvious top-nine wingers in Tyler Bertuzzi, Lucas Raymond, Jakub Vrana and Robby Fabbri, with top-six roles reserved for the former three. Jonatan Berggren, the team's top forward prospect, is slated to arrive on the wing next season, with 6'8 Elmer Soderblom likely not far behind him. And if Yzerman makes a splash in an intriguing pool of free agent wingers this summer -- Ondrej Palat, anyone? -- where does a goal-scorer who's not scoring goals fit in?
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To be clear, it doesn't sound like Yzerman is inclined to move Zadina. He has consistently backed his attitude and his potential and he's in no rush to cash in chips of the team's future. Asked about his approach to Zadina's struggles after he was healthy scratched in January, Yzerman said, "My approach is, I'm just going to be patient."
"I look around the league every year at guys that are 25 years old or so that for whatever reason were traded or moved on to another team after they started slow in their careers, and they're playing pretty well," Yzerman said. "At this stage, there’s a lot I like about Fillip’s game. I like his attitude, I like his work ethic, he does have good skills."
Asked if the arc of Zadina's development has been frustrating, Yzerman said, "He's not frustrating to me. I think Filip may be frustrated with himself. He’s a good young man. He’s working really hard. I think his expectations coming out of junior were probably a little bit unrealistic at the time. He’s working hard out there, he’s generating some opportunities, he’s doing a lot of good things.
"He’s just really pressing. I think if we’re patient and we can somehow get him to just relax and go out and play and let his natural instincts take over, things will start to go in for him."
The trade deadline is March 21. The names that will draw the most attention in Detroit are the obvious ones, Nick Leddy, Marc Staal, Vladislav Namestnikov and perhaps goaltender Thomas Greiss, all of them rentals. Zadina, who's playing out the final year of his entry-level deal, will need a new contract this summer himself, but his status as a restricted free agent theoretically adds to his value.
The Red Wings don't need to trade him in the next few weeks, of course. And they could always revisit his market at the draft. By then, they should have a better idea of what to expect out of Vrana post-shoulder surgery, when they can expect Berggren to make an impact in Detroit and who they can expect to hit the UFA market on July 13. And Zadina's line of suitors might be longer. They also don't need to trade him at all.
But Yzerman and the Red Wings are close to turning the corner. With the right moves in the months ahead, they can earnestly push for a playoff spot next season. Zadina was once a rock of Detroit's rebuild, which says a lot about the rebuild Yzerman took over in 2019 (and less about a winger with a good shot). So was Anthony Mantha. That didn't stop Yzerman from shipping him to the Capitals at last year's deadline in a move that changed the scope of the Wings' future.
If there's a similar move to be made with Zadina, the unthinkable is hardly a crazy thought.