Flames could be the perfect team to give Filip Zadina a second opportunity

Filip Zadina and the Calgary Flames could be a match made in heaven.

The 23-year-old forward mutually agreed with the Detroit Red Wings to terminate his contract, which had two more seasons remaining. It is an extremely bold move for Zadina, as it means he is foregoing the $4.56 million he was set to make.

Zadina, who was taken sixth overall in the 2018 draft, clearly believes that he can reach his full potential in the right environment. That wasn’t happening with the Red Wings, as he scored just three goals and seven points in 30 games last season and has only 28 goals and 68 points in 190 career outings. Despite his struggles, his skill level is undeniable, making him an intriguing addition to the free agent market.

While Zadina should have several suitors, joining the Flames could make sense for a number of reasons. This is an organization that may soon be forced to shift to a rebuild given the uncertainty facing several of their top players in Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, and Noah Hanifin. If that is the case, signing Zadina to a cheap contract and giving him a real opportunity to succeed could be highly beneficial for general manager Craig Conroy and the rest of his staff.

The Flames have already made one deal that suggests they are shifting to a rebuild, or at the very least retooling, when they announced that they had traded Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils for 25-year-old Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick.

Based on several reports, Flames ownership isn’t interested in a full-on rebuild, which helps explain the acquisition of Sharangovich. Bringing in players like that helps a team from tearing their roster down completely. With that logic, giving Zadina a shot makes plenty of sense for Conroy. Given how motivated the Czech forward appears to be, it could pay off massively.

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