The Detroit Red Wings announced on Monday that they are waiving forward Filip Zadina, their sixth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The move comes after the franchise failed to find a trade partner for the 23-year-old player.
Seeing limited action in the 2022-23 NHL season, Zadina asked Red Wings’ front office to trade him this offseason. The team tried to fulfill the player’s wish but was unable to find a suitable deal.
“I tried to find a place for him to play; somebody’s that interested in Filip, maybe give him [a better] opportunity [to play]. I haven’t been able to do that,” Detroit’s general manager Steve Yzerman told reporters. “So, I put him on waivers today; I’m trying to give him the opportunity to go somewhere, an organization, if he wants to play more. We’ll see if that happens.”
Filip Zadina made his NHL debut during the 2018–19 season and has played a total of 190 games with the Red Wings since then. He has 28 goals and 40 assists for a total of 68 points.
Zadina played only 30 games in 2022-23 and was in and out of the lineup while dealing with a lower-body injury. He has two years left on the three-year, $5.475 million extension he signed with Detroit last summer.
After being placed on waivers, Zadina can now be claimed by any NHL team willing to take his contract. If that doesn’t happen and he clears waivers, the Czech Republic will become a free agent.
