GRAND RAPIDS, Mich -- The Red Wings selected Filip Zadina sixth overall in NHL draft because he can score goals. Zadina will be attempting to do that in a Griffins uniform, at least to start the season.
"Some of the coaches and stuff here, it's perfect," Zadina said. "And the line mates, teammates are awesome, so it's just good for me," Zadina said his goal is to "better myself here and be better for Detroit as soon as possible."
The Red Wings have not a had a single season 30-goal scorer since 2009. They hope Zadina will change that soon.
"What I noticed with him right away was whether he had a good game or a bad game, he always seemed to score" first year Griffins coach Ben Simon said. "He's got a knack for finding the back of the net, so he comes down here and continues with that mindset to score goals down here. That will be noticed up top, and he'll get his opportunity. But again, it's a young kid learning not only the hockey side of things but being a pro every day. It's gonna be a little bit of a learning curve, but our job is to develop him as quickly as possible and get him back to where he needs to be."
The Red Wings start the season Thursday at home against Columbus. The Griffins open Friday in Texas against the Stars.
