Zadina Possibly a Week From Returning to Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina said Friday he is maybe “a week or so” away from being ready to rejoin the team.

He hasn’t played since Nov. 5 when he broke a bone in his leg blocking a shot against the New York Islanders. It had to be surgically repaired.

“We’ll see how it comes (along),” Zadina said. “I just want to come back and be 100% ready. I don’t want to be 85% ready and then just be on the ice. I want to to be ready and can give the team 100%. That’s my goal. If I get there in a week, or 10 days, or two weeks, I’m trying my best to get there as soon as possible. I just want to come back and be ready 100 percent.”

It’s not a conditioning issue.

“It’s a matter of the spot where I had the surgery, where I had the broken bone,” Zadina said. “The conditioning is fine. I’m already there. Obviously it’s tough. It’s probably not the same like I was in the summer. The biggest concern right now is the leg, where I had the injury.”

Season Re-Start

Zadina only played nine games this season before. He didn’t have a point in those games. When he returns to the Detroit lineup, it will be like starting over.

“When I come back I won’t be thinking about what happened before, how many games I played,” Zadina said. “Basically I want to take it as a preseason game. That’s my fresh start. The first game of the season will be for me the
game when I come back. That’s probably the focus for the future.”

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With Robby Fabbri, Jakub Vrana and Zadina all coming back soon, the Red Wings have some difficult roster and lineup decisions to make. Joe Veleno, Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Soderblom are the only forwards who can be sent to the minors without being put on waivers.

Berggren boast five goals and seven assists for 12 points in 21 games. He has demonstrated his ability to be a 20-goal scorer and an offensive catalyst. Veleno has been a dependable competitor as a bottom six forward. He has five points in five games. Soderblom also boasts five points in his past five games.