Today, the Washington Capitals announced that they would be signing former Red Wing winger Jakub Vrana to a professional tryout contract for fast approaching training camp. Vrana, of course, began his career in Washington, where he flashed potential as a scorer and won the 2018 Stanley Cup but eventually fell out of favor to his laissez faire attitude away from the puck. The Caps traded Vrana to Detroit at the 2021 deadline in a deal that sent Anthony Mantha back to Washington and didn’t really work out well for anyone.
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From Vrana’s perspective, it kicked off a frustrating cycle: a flurry of goals upon arriving at a new home but exhaust his welcome with a lack of consistency and intensity away from the puck. It happened in Detroit, then happened even quicker after the Red Wings traded him to St. Louis in 2023. Last season, Vrana played twice as many games in the AHL (42) as he did with the Blues (21).
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Now, Vrana may well have arrived at his last chance saloon, at least in so far as an NHL career is concerned. As the fact that he is signing a PTO rather than full contract makes explicit, Vrana is at the ultimate “prove it” moment in his career. If he can’t earn a spot with the Caps come training camp, it’s hard to imagine another team will come knocking.
To make it work, he will have to deliver some of the offense that’s long been his calling card, but Vrana will also have to work away from the puck too, practicing the habits defensively and on the forecheck that have eluded him. He has good memories in Washington, and Peter Laviolette’s coaching staff that gave up on him the first time has been replaced by a younger and more progressive regime under Spencer Carbery.
For a player who has battled injuries and a stint in the NHLPA’s Player Assistance Program, here’s to hoping Vrana can make his second stint in Washington a lasting one.
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