Zadina wished to leave. But no one in the NHL wants him, Yzerman confirmed and outlined his near future

What will happen to Filip Zadina’s NHL career? The Czech forward was recently placed on the waiver list, but no team has chosen his services. Now it looks like Zadina will stay on the Detroit farm, but he doesn’t want to play there. There is also the possibility of a contract termination.

As the well-known server The Athletic describes, about an hour before Steve Yzerman entered the press room on Monday and started the press conference, the news about the Czech forward in Detroit leaked to the public.

In fact, credible journalist Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that the Red Wings have placed Filip Zadina on the waiver list. However, at the aforementioned press conference, Yzerman explained that it was not Detroit’s initiative at all.

The former sixth overall pick simply wanted to leave this hockey town and find a fresh start. Unfortunately, Zadina hasn’t really made a name for himself in Detroit yet, and as a result, his move is completely understandable.

The club’s management tried to find a new job for Zadina, but to no avail. No one reached out to the Pardubice native.

“A few weeks before the draft he asked through his agent if he could go somewhere else. So I tried. I tried to find a place for him to play, someone who would be interested in Filip and maybe give him the opportunity. I couldn’t do that,” Yzerman explained at the press conference.

But Detroit’s move to place Zadina on the waiver list should not be construed as the club giving up on his potential. As Yzerman also confirmed, the Red Wings are giving him the opportunity to change his environment and use his potential elsewhere if a club shows interest in him this summer.

He’s made significant steps forward, he’s got something!

However, Yzerman is still hoping that his potential can be developed in Detroit. His last season was affected by injury, as he played only 30 games for Detroit. He added two more games on the farm with the Grand Rapids Griffins.

“I’m by no means writing off his career. I think he’s made significant strides and I still think there’s something there, ” the Detroit legend admitted.

That Yzerman still sees potential in Zadine is no surprise. After all, he was the one who signed the Czech player to a three-year, $1.825 million cap hit last season.

“I’m not happy about being on the waiver list. I signed him to a three-year deal a year ago because I believed he would grow. He signed that contract and I expected him to want to grow with us. The reality now is that a contract like that can prevent you from getting the opportunity you’re looking for in another organization.

That’s the reality for him. So best case scenario, and it’s not out of the question, he’ll go through the waiver list, come to training camp, handle it well, work his way into the lineup and play,³” Yzerman said.

Sources: NHL, Elite Prospects, The Athletic