NHL rookies you have to pick up in fantasy hockey for 2018-19

DALLAS, TX - JUNE 22: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Andrei Svechnikov of the Carolina Hurricanes and Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadians pose for a picture of the 2018 NHL draft on June 22, 2018 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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9. F Filip Zadina

In 10 years we may very well look back on Filip Zadina as one of the biggest steals of the draft. Widely projected to go third, if not fourth (behind Brady Tkachuk), he fell to the Red Wings at No. 6 when Phoenix opted for a center in Barrett Hayton.

Zadina absolutely crushed the QMJHL in his rookie year, netting himself 44 goals and an 82-point effort in just 57 games. This year showed he can jump in with older competition and perform immediately. Adjusting to the North American ice was no issue for the 18-year-old, and he potted seven goals in seven games at the World Juniors for good measure.

Ken Holland has a history of bringing along his prospects slowly, but Zadina could be an exception. There’s not much left to prove in major junior. His size is already more than adequate and should allow him to compete strongly along the boards. A lack of top-end talent on the wings for Detroit will provide a strong opportunity for him to steal a roster spot this fall.

Defense was paramount for the Red Wings at this year’s draft. It says a lot about what the organization thinks of Zadina that they took him with Hughes, Bouchard, Boqvist and Dobson still on the board.

"We were surprised, we thought he’d be gone. We were really focused on either a center or a defenseman the way we thought it was going to go. When Zadina fell we just felt we couldn’t pass up on his ability to score goals…we’re gonna give (him) a real chance to make our team –Ken Holland"

Another key factor working in Filip’s favor is his defensive awareness. He’s known to everyone as a big-time goal scorer, but he’s no slouch in his own end. Not afraid to block shots in the shooting lanes, he earned penalty kill minutes all year with the Mooseheads. This will go a long way to endearing himself early to the coaching staff.

With a lackluster roster in the Motor City, we shouldn’t expect an eye-popping year from the big Czech. Though that’s not to disparage what he is projected to be when it’s all said and done. He’s absolutely worth keeping an eye on during the run-up to the regular season and could have a great rookie year on the back of his offensive prowess.

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