Filip Zadina Signs 3 Year Entry Level Contract with Red Wings, NHL Rules He is AHL-Eligible

The Red Wings have taken care of some expected business by signing 2018 first round draft pick (6th overall) Filip Zadina to an entry-level contract.

For right now, CapFriendly is assuming a maximum entry-level contract. We’ll likely get more details later. When we do, we will update this article.

The maximum salary an entry-level contract can be is $925k, and it is very likely that Zadina will receive that. For higher-end players, bonuses are often included. Here is a short primer on how that works via CapFriendly:

Entry-level contracts can still include signing and performance bonuses. Signing bonuses may not exceed 10 percent of the contract’s total compensation, and is paid to players annually. Performance bonuses for entry-level contracts, that are paid by the team and count against the salary cap cannot exceed a maximum of $2,850,000. Performance Bonuses are broken into 2 categories: Schedule A and Schedule B. Schedule A Bonuses may not exceed $212,500 per individual bonus, and $850,000 in total. There are two types of Schedule B Bonuses. League-wide award/trophy bonuses that are paid by the league and are not captured within the actual entry-level contract signed by the player, and player & club agreed upon bonuses, of which the maximum is $2million per season.

Just as an example, William Nylander’s entry level contract included the max $92,500 in signing bonuses, and $850,000 in potential performance bonuses for each year.

Even though this was expected, it’s another step in Zadina’s journey towards Detroit. It’s been a long time since fans have been this excited about a Detroit draft pick, and hopefully he’ll get started on earning performance bonuses real soon.

UPDATE:

Craig Custance is reporting that the NHL ruled on Zadina’s eligibility and that he will be eligible to play in the AHL this season, which is fantastic news.

I, like many fans, am hoping that he will be in the NHL this season, after showing that he’s ready to step in and contribute. If he’s not quite ready, having him play in Grand Rapids will likely be far better than continuing to play in the QMJHL.

UPDATE TWO:

Custance followed up his original tweet, saying this:

Obviously if that happens, we’ll keep you updated of what would happen next.

The team’s press release follows:

DETROIT SIGNS ZADINA TO ENTRY-LEVEL CONTRACT

Winger Was Drafted Sixth Overall by Red Wings at 2018 NHL Entry Draft

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings today signed right wing Filip Zadina to a three-year entry-level contract.

Zadina, 18, was selected by the Red Wings in the first round (sixth overall) of the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on June 22-23, and went on to participate at Detroit’s Development Camp from June 26-30 at the BELFOR Training Center inside Little Caesars Arena. The 6-foot, 196-pound winger spent the 2017-18 campaign with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Halifax Mooseheads, where he led the team with 44 goals among his 82 points (44-38-82) in 57 games, which placed seventh overall in league scoring. He also led QMJHL rookies in scoring and earned a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team and All-Rookie Team, while winning the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league’s best professional prospect. Zadina also tied for the team lead in playoff scoring by collecting 12 points (5-7-12) in nine games.

The Pardubice, Czech Republic, native also represented the Czechs at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship in Buffalo, N.Y., leading the team with seven goals among his eight points in seven games to earn a spot on the WJC All-Star Team. He has played for the Czech Republic on several occasions, including back-to-back World Under-18 Championships in 2016 and 2017, combining for 11 points (7-4-11) in 10 games and earning honors as a top-three player on his team each year. He also helped the Czechs win gold at the 2016 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament with a team-leading seven points (5-2-7) in four games. Prior to 2017-18, Zadina developed with his hometown HC Pardubice in the top professional league in the Czech Republic and throughout the Czech junior ranks. He made his professional debut with HC Pardubice by playing in two games in the top Czech professional league in 2015-16, before registering his first two professional points (1-1-2) for the club the following season.