The Filip Zadina saga is nearing an end point with the Detroit Red Wings.
He was placed on waivers Thursday, the second time he has landed there this week, but this time for the purpose of terminating his contract. Zadina signed a three-year, $5,475,000 contract last August. The termination frees the Wings from the $1.825 million annual salary cap hit that would have run through 2024-25 – but the actual salary left was $4.56 million, and that is what Zadina is willing to sacrifice for the opportunity to set his own course with a new team.
His agent, Darren Ferris, did not respond to a request for comment. Zadina could not be reached.
ANALYSIS: Red Wings’ Filip Zadina latest example how hard it is to get it right in NHL draft
Zadina, 23, has been unable to reach the hype that made him the No. 6 pick in 2018, recording just 28 goals and 40 assists in 190 career games. He lacked the speed and agility to succeed in the top six, and lacked the grit and physicality to be an effective presence in the bottom six. He has had opportunity on the first and second lines over the past three years, as well as on a power-play unit, and was unable to show he belonged. Last year he looked good in training camp, but still ended up as a healthy scratch when the season began. When he did enter the lineup, he was set back by a leg injury that limited him to just 30 games.