"I just wanted to go on the ice to just try, to feel like if it's getting better at least," Zadina said. "I was there and I didn't feel it too much, almost I didn't feel it at all. Hopefully I'll be ready and I'll be healthy soon."
The injury happened during Zadina's offseason training.
"I was trying to do lots of lower body to get my legs stronger and quicker," Zadina said. "But it happened, the injury, two weeks ago so I couldn't do much right now. So I'm just trying to be patient and get healthy as soon as possible and then start again and just probably get, I don't know, stronger and quicker and be probably more, I don't know, faster on the ice."
Zadina spent most of last season with the Wings' American Hockey League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, except for a nine-game stint with the big club from Feb. 24-March 14.
In those nine games, Zadina scored his first career goal, had two assists and was minus-5.
In 59 games with the Griffins, Zadina had 16 goals, 19 assists and was minus-17.
"Obviously lots of new experiences during the season, ups and downs," Zadina said. "Obviously I enjoyed the time here in Detroit. I think I'll take it. I'll take it as it was and I think it was a good season for me, I got to learn something and I hope and I believe that next season will be way better."
Unfortunately for Zadina, the Griffins did not have a long playoff run, ending in Game 5 in the first round against the Chicago Wolves.
Zadina had two goals, an assist and was minus-2.
"Obviously it's tough to change the leagues," Zadina said. "When I was in the NHL, it was, in my opinion, a little bit easier to play with those players because they know how to pass the puck and those things. It was kind of easier but when I was back, it's obviously the AHL, it's way different league. While we were before the playoffs, we didn't have the best results that we could. Unfortunately, it didn't go the way that we wanted."
Zadina said he has met with new general manager Steve Yzerman about expectations going forward.
"He talked to me a couple times about what I gotta do better and where I have to improve my game, improve myself as an athlete," Zadina said. "That's one of the reasons why I'm staying here and I do believe that they make me a better athlete and then help me for the season."
The young forward plans to go home to the Czech Republic for a brief visit and then return to Detroit to train for the rest of the summer.
"They told me to just have a good summer and be ready for the next season because we want you as a member of the Detroit Red Wings," Zadina said. "I said I'll do anything for it so that's the reason why I'm staying here and I believe that they can help and make me a better athlete and make the team."
Zadina wanted to make the Red Wings out of training camp last year.
Although that did not happen, he did get a small taste and feels he is ready to show that he is ready for the show.
"I'll go to the training camp with the mindset to make the first team," Zadina said. "I don't think I gotta show them something, I just think I gotta go there and show them myself, that's what I know the best. I don't act like someone else, I just want to be there as Filip Zadina. They drafted me as a goal scorer and that's what I got to focus on. That's probably how I want to be there in the training camp."
TEAM DELVECCHIO WINS: Everyone in the Wings front office has emphasized to the prospects that development camp is for just that, developing.