Detroit Red Wings: Is it finally time to move on from Filip Zadina?

The Detroit Red Wings have invested a lot of time into forward Filip Zadina. He was the team’s first-round pick from 2018, selecting the Czech forward with the sixth overall pick. Since then, there has been a lot of hope and faith in what Zadina can bring to the table.

After all, the Detroit Red Wings drafted him, assuming that Zadina was going to be a big piece of the puzzle moving forward. It has taken some time to see any results; frankly, the results have not been the most exciting.

Zadina has been given a lot of chances, and the trade rumors have filed in over the years, but is it finally time to move on from the winger? The Red Wings keep trying it with Zadina, and it feels like they are never able to get the level of performance they are hoping for.

When Zadina returned from his injury, he scored in the first game and played a well-rounded game. The goals never came, the offensive numbers were quite underwhelming, and it might finally be time to move on from the winger.

Detroit Red Wings have to make a decision with Filip Zadina.

It might finally be time for the Red Wings to move on from Zadina and either trade him or move on. He’s under contract for two more seasons with a $1.825 million cap hit, but Yzerman’s patience with him may not last that long.

In 2022-23, Zadina played 30 games for the Red Wings, scoring three goals and adding four assists for just seven total points. His injury-riddled season did end early as well, as he missed the end of the year due to injury.

Zadina’s just never really been able to tap into the scoring touch and have that electric shot & release that he was projected to see translate at the next level. On occasion, it would show, but he was never able to find the scoring consistently and be the player that he was projected to be.

Yzerman is going to have to make some decisions on the players who deserve to be on the roster moving forward and which players are going to really help this team moving forward. That will require him to decide how Zadina can benefit the Red Wings; that answer might leave him looking for someone else.

While he is under contract, so it’s not like he can just let him walk in free agency, Zadina may not be long for the Red Wings roster. It might be time to trade him and give Zadina a change of scenery.

Pure speculation here; nothing concrete behind this, but maybe Zadina is someone that Yzerman keeps in mind on draft day to try and package in some kind of draft day deal.