Why would a player or more to the point his agent agree to terminating the contract? It's not their fault they signed him to that deal.
- Earl Skakel
Because nobody wanted him for free on waivers and he wanted to go to a new team. Wings were not going to retain salary on a deal just to give him a new start somewhere else and he didn't want to risk being stuck in the AHL for the next 2 years. He said he wouldn't report to the AHL if sent down which means he would have gotten suspended without pay. Wings wanted him to come to camp and earn a spot but he wanted a fresh start so it's not like the Wings were trying to get rid of him, he was the one that wanted to leave.
All that being said, my guess is that him wanting to leave might have something to do about what happened with his countryman Vrana. Vrana going into the program, then coming back only to be waived and then not playing much even after they recalled him and trading him for nothing while retaining half his salary just to get rid of him. Something clearly happened with Vrana in Detroit that they felt he needed to be gone even if he was a productive player. Could be the fact he showed up to camp the first full season after traded from the Caps wanting surgery after he had all summer to do that missing most of the season and whatever his problem was to go into the NHL program the next season missing most of it again.
Good luck to Zadina, takes some balls to say no to over 4 million you are owed just to get a new start. Too bad it didn't work out for him in Detroit considering all the other options on defense the Wings could have drafted instead of him.