Yzerman: I respect Zadina for his decision, career is more important than money. He’s not stupid, he knows what he gave up

Filip Zadina showed great courage. He left $4.6 million on the table and took one million dollars from San Jose. Detroit GM Steve Yzerman respects him for this decision.

Not many players would have done what Filip Zadina did. The Czech forward has gotten the feeling that he’s not a good fit in Detroit and can’t sell his great potential. So he decided to ask for a change of scenery and a different start.

But no team heard his request for a trade, nor his inclusion on the waiver list. Taking on Zadina’s salary ($2.3 million per year) seemed like a big risk for teams.

That left the Czech forward with one last, drastic option. Get out of his contract, leave $4.6 million on the table, and try to sign elsewhere for less. That worked, San Jose offered Zadina a one-year, $1.1 million contract.

“We talked about it, I talked to Filip about it over the summer, we talked about it a little bit with his agent,” Yzerman told the Detroit Free Press. “Ultimately, if he wanted to start over – I tried to trade him, we put him on waivers, but he just couldn’t be moved. This was the only way to start over,” the Detroit general manager added.

Giving up so much money for an uncertain future is a risky, but at the same time extremely courageous move. Zadina has a year to prove he deserves a better contract and is a valid NHL player.

However, he has shown that money is not his first priority, that hockey is his first priority. And Yzerman praised him for that.

“I really respect him for making that decision. He’s not a stupid man, he knows what he gave up. But his career is more important than dollars and I wish him well, I really do. My experience with him has always been good. He’s a likeable young man, he’s worked hard, it just hasn’t worked out. I wish him the best of luck elsewhere,” Yzerman said.

Zadina should get a spot in the top six with the Sharks, with center Tomas Hertl as his backup. He should also get on the power play and show one of his strengths – shooting. In Detroit, where he would enter the preparation on the edge of the lineup, he wouldn’t get that much space.

Source: Detroit Free Press