Could Filip Zadina Get a Fresh Start in Nashville?
Would a "resetting" Predators team be a good landing spot for Zadina?
It has been an interesting few days for former Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina. The 23 year old and the Red Wings mutually agreed to terminate his contract, and Zadina is looking for a fresh start with a new team. Could Nashville be that place?
Zadina has had a challenging NHL career since being drafted 6th overall in 2018 by Detroit. He bounced back and forth between the Red Wings and the Grand Rapids Griffins before settling into a more permanent NHL role in 2020. Since the 2020-21 season, Zadina has played 153 games for the Red Wings and scored 19 goals and 50 points. In November of last year, Zadina fractured his leg and was out of the lineup until February 9. After his return in February, Zadina scored three goals and seven points.
Zadina has underperformed as a top ten draft pick, but that isn't to say that Detroit GM Steve Yzerman doesn't still see potential even as the two parties part ways.
"In the thirty games he played, I've seen growth in his game," Yzerman said earlier this week. "I don't write off his career by any means. I think he's got upside. I think he can still become a valuable player in the NHL."
Enter the Nashville Predators. The Predators are already focusing on developing young talent with players like Cody Glass, Luke Evangelista, and Phil Tomasino. Barry Trotz has made free agency moves to help the Preds be competitive through this reset and to bring in veterans who can mentor these younger players. With a locker room already intentional about leading the youth, Zadina could also learn from veterans like Ryan O'Reilly and Gustav Nyquist and perhaps find his game again.
Nashville fans need look no further than former Pred Eeli Tolvanen to see how a fresh start in a new city can transform a player's game. Yzerman made the Tolvanen comparison himself when talking about what could be next for Zadina in a new environment.
But what would bringing in another new face mean for the players already in Nashville's system who are waiting for their chance in this "reset"? Players like Kiefer Sherwood will be fighting to make the Preds roster out of training camp and bringing in Zadina could potentially delay Joakim Kemell's NHL debut.
Of course, there are the finances. Zadina will likely be looking for a deal with some term. Nashville has the cap space, but committing to a young player outside the system for more than a season or two may be unwise with young players like Tomasino, Tommy Novak, and Juuso Pärssinen becoming UFAs and RFAs after next season.
Any team that is interested in Zadina will have to weigh the risk/reward when it comes to signing a top draft pick that has yet to live up to his potential at the NHL level. The difference is that the Predators have a locker room that could be one of the best fits to help Zadina do just that.
