Photo: WXYZ
According to NHL Network on SiriusXM’s Nick Alberga, former Washington Capitals left-wing Jakub Vrana has likely played his last NHL game for the Detroit Red Wings despite scoring six goals and eight points in his last seven AHL games with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The 26-year-old has six goals and nine points in 15 AHL games this season.
Vrana has played just 28 games over his first two full seasons with Detroit due to shoulder surgery prior to last season and entrance into the NHL/NHLPA’s player assistance program last October.
Vrana was reinstated by the NHL on December 16 and assigned to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins recently for a conditioning stint.
Nick’s info here on Vrana echoes what I’ve been told about the situation. Very unlikely Vrana rejoins the big club this year and the Wings are intent on moving him, one way or another, this off-season.
Vrana has 1-year left on his contract after this season at a $5.25M cap hit. https://t.co/TxBxD0Qspj
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) February 7, 2023
Vrana has played just 39 games since arriving at the trade deadline on April 12. 2021, in the deal that sent left-wing Anthony Mantha to Washington. However, over his quick tenure in Detroit, Vrana has scored 22 goals with 32 points (including a one-goal, two-point game in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils, his last NHL game on October 15).
Vrana has two years left on a contract that counts $5.25 million against the NHL salary cap.
In 284 career games with Washington, Vrana has recorded 76 goals, 157 points, and a +36 rating. He set career-highs in goals (25) and points (52) in 69 games during the 2019-20 season. He had no points and a combined -8 rating in 15 Stanley Cup Playoff games from 2019-20 when Washington was eliminated in the first round both times after recording three goals and eight points in 23 games during the 2018 tournament.
Washington GM Brian MacLellan said he saw a “frustrated player” in Vrana in terms of his body language and the team wanted to move on from that. Head coach Peter Laviolette scratched Vrana twice before the team traded him and never seemed to click with the young Czech after the team hired him.
By Harrison Brown
I sure hope he finds a good place to play in the NHL. He certainly has the talent to produce. I would have liked him on our team except he doesn’t play on the pp or pk, and he would take the spot of someone who would, so I’d have to say no.
We traded him for a reason, strongly doubt that GMBM and Lavi have forgotten
Chandler, Siggy, Sammy, Vitek have all found themselves when moved to a new environment, taking advantage of what the change offered. Vrana and Mantha haven’t.
So did Connolly, DSP, Chiasson, and Kempny when they came to DC, and Schmidt when he left.
DSP didn’t seem to find himself as an NHL player since leaving the Caps. Connolly has one good year since leaving the Caps and since then, has not been able to get a regular NHL job.
he must’ve done something really, really bad there. Detroit’s classy for not letting us know. But whatever it was, could it be worse than Tony DeAngelo? There’s a spot for him in Philly.
I hate to speculate, but perhaps it wasn’t so much “bad” as a clash of personalities? If I recall Vrana had butted heads with pretty much every coach he ever had. Given that he’s no longer a young kid, Detroit just has a shorter leash. It’s unfortunate either way, hopefully Vrana can figure whatever it is out.
This is my guess as well. He butted heads with all prior coaches, including in Hershey and with the Czech national team. In my opinion, he has issues with authority which is not atypical for young people. Hopefully he figures things out.
He was also a big partier on the Caps, which coupled with his stint in the PA program, could have contributed to his problems. Somehow Jeff Carter and Mike Richards dried out enough in LA to win, so it’s not unprecedented, but they also had stronger leadership in the room than Detroit does. I could definitely see Pittsburgh, Edmonton, and Colorado looking hard at him if he’s bought out.
With one year left on his contract, trade Mantha for him and see if getting back to where they started helps! What could happen that already has not happened?
Considering that no one picked up Vrana for free, giving up a tradable asset for him would be poor management.
How tradeable is Mantha? With a $5.7 mill cap hit for this year and next, I’d say not very.
So true and to get rid of him will involve including a player in Hershey like CMM or Lapierre and probably a high (either a 1 or a 2) pick to get back a large salary that we dont need.
Sad but once again you really are and should stay anonymous and silent as you cant even tell sarcasm and I fail to see where Mantha with his salary and lack of production is an asset. Please explain what makes him an asset!
Only if we get a #1, a #2, and a 4th line player back.
In other words, what we gave up for Mantha
One of the worst trades in team hiatory