Does Filip Zadina Deserve a Long-Term Contract from the Red Wings?

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The Detroit Red Wings drafted Filip Zadina a couple years ago in the first-round of the NHL entry draft. Zadina was a highly touted prospect in his respective year, but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations.

The Detroit Red Wings have some young and talented players brewing in the AHL and in the juniors. As they adjust to the play style and competitiveness of the teams and players in the states, the Red Wings will determine the best course of action for the players that have already made the leap.

At the beginning of the off-season general manager, Steve Yzerman let Jeff Blashill go and the Red Wings began their search for the next head coach of the Detroit Red Wings. Now, although that probably takes priority at the moment, I’m sure that Yzerman has thought about what he is going to do with some of their current free agents. One of the bigger names- Filip Zadina.

Zadina has shown a lot of promise at certain points. But with his inconsistency, and the lack of production, he hasn’t exactly panned out to be the player we think he could be. Now, that’s not to say that he won’t figure it out at some point, but it seems as though we are saying that since he became a Red Wing.

So, now that Zadina is a restricted free agent, the Red Wings have to make a decision on what their next course of action will be with him. Do they think he is worth the money to keep him here? Or do you let him walk in free agency and try and get a pick back for him?

Filip Zadina of the Detroit Red Wings. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

Does Filip Zadina Deserve a Big Contract From the Red Wings?

Filip Zadina has shown lots of promise throughout his past couple seasons with the Red Wings. But, the problem with Zadina has been the inconsistency. Now, you can argue and say that Blashill had a lot to do with that and your not wrong. However, good players can generally overcome bad coaching. Furthermore, when you are in a contract year, you cannot go out there and lay an egg. You just can’t. Yet, Zadina did.

So, the big question this off-season regarding the contract issue the Red Wings are facing is, who is important in their long-term plans and who isn’t. Zadina stands on both sides for that one. So, what should Yzerman do?

Pros of Signing Filip Zadina

I’ve always believed that if you are drafted in the first-round, there is no such thing as a bust. If you are drafted in the first-round you have the talent to be a special player in the league and all you need is the right opportunity to show it. I believe that with other players like Nolan Patrick, Kaapo Kakko. I also believe that about Filip Zadina.

Filip Zadina is about to get a fresh start away from Blashill, which personally, I feel he needed. Last season former head coach, Jeff Blashill, moved him around on the lines a lot. But, when he was paired with Jakub Vrana, he was dominant. We truly saw signs of the player he can and should be for us.

As I stated above, a change of coach could be exactly what the Red Wings need in order to get consistent production for Zadina. Being able to get paired on the right line with the right play style may be exactly what he needs to make his jump in the NHL.

Cons For Signing Filip Zadina

Zadina has the potential to be a 20/30 goal scorer for the Red Wings, but his lack of production since being in the NHL is concerning. I know I said above that his lack of scoring could be due to the situation and the coach which isn’t surprising. But, that could be the problem.

If Zadina has to rely on a new coach, and Jakub Vrana being on his line for him to amount to something, does that make him a capable long-term option for the Wings? Especially over some of the guys we have currently in the pipeline?

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That question is going to be extremly important and I’d expect it to take him a couple days or weeks to figure it out. You have to find a way to give some of these players opportunites, and you can’t do that if you consistantly bring players back that don’t deserve it.

If he want’s a contract extension that could pay him $5,500,000/$6,000,000 over four/five years, is that worth it in your eyes?

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