Another notable restricted free agent is off the board.
As training camp approaches, the Detroit Red Wings have agreed to terms with forward Filip Zadina on a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.825 million.
The deal now ties the former sixth overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft to Detroit through the 2024-25 season and also ensures he will remain an RFA at expiry.
It’s been a rocky start to Zadina’s career over the past few years.
The 22-year-old played in his first full 82-game season in 2021-22, racking up 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 74 games last season, all while logging just over 14 minutes in average ice time.
For a player with Zadina’s skill set and pedigree, those are some seriously underwhelming numbers, with the young winger failing to carve out a role for himself in the Red Wings’ top six while seeming to always end up stuck in coach Jeff Blashill’s dog house.
The good news, however, is that Zadina will have a fresh start in 2022-23 with new coach Derek Lalonde stepping behind the bench, perhaps bringing with him a brand new system that can utilize Zadina’s exciting toolbox more effectively.
If that ends up being the case, then having Zadina under contract for the next three seasons at less than $2 million per will be a steal. But it’s a big “if”, nonetheless.
