Since being drafted by Detroit, Zadina has not been able to find a regular spot in an NHL lineup. Wanting out of Detroit, the team agreed to place him on waivers, something that rarely happens in the summer, to see if another team would pick him up. No one did. He was then placed on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract, which was made official four days ago.
The cap hit on his previous contract with Detroit was $1.8 million per season for the next two years. By waiting for him to become a free agent instead of picking him up on waivers, the Sharks get him for less money and shorter term.