Former Washington Capitals Forward Jakub Vrana has been traded from the Detroit Red Wings to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a 7th round pick and forward Dylan McLaughlin.

UPDATE: The Detroit #RedWings today acquired a 7th round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and center Dylan McLaughlin from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing Jakub Vrana. pic.twitter.com/7mFmPX9iaK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 3, 2023

Vrana 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.

Vrana has played just 40 NHL 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).

Army cont'd: "He's a talented player, a good skater. He can score goals … Where we're at as an organization, these are the types of things we might not have done in the past that we do now. We provide young players opportunities to get back going." (2/2)

— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) March 3, 2023

Vrana, who cleared waivers on January 4, 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.