Red Wings Player Grades: Assessing The Forwards of the Future
By Nate Brown
Filip Zadina
2021 Statline:
Games: 49
Goals: 6
Points: 19
CF%: 41.9%
Preseason Projections
Top Six forward who can carry the offense more
2021 Season in a Nutshell
Zadina was snakebitten when it came to scoring goals. The goals will definitely come but he also needs more talent around him. Zadina had two less goals in half as many games this season, and his shooting percentage was down seven percent.
The positives? He is evolving into a full 200 foot player and he was one of the few who could carry the puck into the zone on power plays–instead of defaulting to dump and chase hockey. He was a boost when he came back from Covid Protocol. Though he’s not filling nets, some puck luck and talent around him will help those numbers grow. Thankfully, being on a line with Jakub Vrana might be the first step.
They said it
“He’s played really hard most of the season. He’s done it the right way. He tries to play from the defensive side of the puck. He tries to check for his chances, and he’s done a real good job of that. He’s just got to stay on it.” Jeff Blashill via Mlive.com
Final Grade: B
Zadina’s maturity has grown his game leaps and bounds–where many times his defensive responsibility led to scoring chances–which is natural for him. At times it appeared he was trying to do too much, be it passing when he should shoot or holding onto the puck too long, but that will come with experience. Zadina has shown he has the instincts to be successful in the league, and again, with more players like Vrana surrounding him, the uptick in scoring should happen.