Why Jakub Vrana's return to Detroit Red Wings lineup bumped Filip Zadina
WASHINGTON — It wasn't a decision Derek Lalonde made easily, but it was where the Detroit Red Wings landed.
In order to get Jakub Vrana into the lineup for the first time in four months, another forward had to come out for Tuesday's game against the Washington Capitals. It was Filip Zadina who got the boot, even as he seemed to be playing his best hockey.
"Don’t love pulling Zadina, he has played well for us," Lalonde said after the morning skate at Capital One Arena. "It kind of just came down to giving V an opportunity. We want to see where he is at, what we have, and Z is the odd man out, not contributing right now to either special teams. Not an easy decision."
More:Detroit Red Wings 'earning respect,' but need to beat Washington to earn more smiles
Lalonde said Monday that he liked how the line of Zadina, Pius Suter and Oskar Sundqvist had been playing, and could have opted to scratch Dominik Kubalik, who has two goals his last 10 games. Kubalik and Sundqvist, though, are both on power play units, while Zadina is not.
It is a blow for the 23-year-old, who has three points in six games since returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him three months.
"These things I can control, I control," Zadina said. "It was their decision. It's part of hockey.
"Before I got hte chance to play again, I said I will do my best as I was trying before I got hurt. I am just trying to do my best every shift."
Vrana's view:Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana on what the past two months have been like
Vrana hasn't played for the Wings since Oct. 15. Since that time he has spent two months in the players assistance program, been waived and assigned to the minors.
"It’s huge for him and I wish him the best," Zadina said. "He is my friend and I wish him the best, for sure."
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her latest book, “On the Clock: Behind the Scenes with the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL Draft,” is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jakub Vrana in, Filip Zadina out as Detroit Red Wings face Washington
