Detroit Red Wings: Can Filip Zadina tap into the scoring in the long-term?

The Detroit Red Wings are deep into the rebuild, which means a plethora of high-profile draft picks. Back in 2018, the Red Wings selected forward Filip Zadina with the sixth overall selection.  This is Zadina’s first full season in the NHL, even though it is not quite a “full season.”

Keeping the level of play the Detroit Red Wings are at in mind, Zadina has proven that he can settle in and hopefully become one of the scorers in the top-six. Zadina is an excellent young forward who should continue to get better as the Red Wings get better.

Zadina has played a total of 56 NHL games over three seasons, and it seems like he has reached the point where he will be a mainstay in the Red Wings top-six for the long haul. While Lucas Raymond recovers from his surgery and continues his route to Hockeytown, Zadina holds things down and looks to tap into his scoring as part of a long-term plan.

Unlike the other two top draft choices, Zadina has worked his way into the NHL and has earned his spot. Zadina is now just trying to develop his game and become a reliable top-six winger who can make things happen in the offensive zone.

The Detroit Red Wings are hoping Filip Zadina can tap into that scoring touch.

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In the next few years, the Red Wings will see Filip Zadina start finding the back of the net more often. Zadina has shown he can be a goal scorer; the skills are there; it’s a matter of tapping into it.

As Ansar Khan of MLive recently wrote, with Zadina, it is about taking shots and capitalizing on the opportunities he has to score.

In the Red Wings recent contest with the Carolina Hurricanes, Zadina found twine on two occasions, bringing his goal total to three for the 2020-21 season.

In total, Zadina has three goals and five assists for eight total points over 19 games for the Red Wings. He has not eclipsed his games played total from the 2019-20 season yet, where he played 28 games, scoring eight goals and adding seven assists for 15 points, but he will.

There is no reason to think that in the next few years, Zadina could enter an age of scoring 20 goals. He is one of those players thought to be a gifted sniper who can use his shooting ability to his advantage.

The Red Wings having a 20-goal scorer seems like a fantasy land, but if any of the prospects could flourish, Zadina is going to be the first to do it. This is a bit unfair since the others have not suited up in Hockeytown yet, but Zadina should be able to establish himself and tap into the scoring that the Red Wings are hopeful for.

There is hope with Zadina; he could be a reliable source of offense sooner than later. Beyond that, he will be able to carry this through the long term and be a continued scoring threat for the Red Wings.