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Former Detroit Red Wings forward may have run out of chances in the NHL
Photo credit: Red Wings
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana, who at one point appeared to be a long-term solution for the club, may have run out of chances in the NHL.
There was once a time when forward Jakub Vrana appeared to be one of the all-time steals via NHL Trade in recent memory, but those days are long gone.
And now, Vrana appears to have run out of chances in the NHL. He's been scratched for 10 straight games in his 2nd stint with the Capitals, and has barely played in the games he's been put into their lineup.
Capitals coach Spencer Carbery recently called out Vrana for his lack of defensive play, something he's been known for during his career.
There's the give and take. He's got the speed, the offensive ability, the shot, and then he has to really work on his game without the puck, and that's always been him his whole career.
So, when you're creating enough to offset the without-the-puck play, we're in a good spot. You put up with some misses defensively, but when the ledger starts to move [the wrong way], that's when we have to get it back to even.
So, when you're creating enough to offset the without-the-puck play, we're in a good spot. You put up with some misses defensively, but when the ledger starts to move [the wrong way], that's when we have to get it back to even.
That's where I feel like we're at. There's just a few plays a game defensively where we're getting exposed, and it's costing us in certain situations.
And if you're not creating and scoring and creating a ton of opportunities even in his limited ice, then the ledger becomes unsustainable from a coaching standpoint.
And if you're not creating and scoring and creating a ton of opportunities even in his limited ice, then the ledger becomes unsustainable from a coaching standpoint.
Jakub Vrana once appeared to be a force in Detroit's offensive attack
The Detroit Red Wings acquired Vrana from the Washington Capitals in an April 2021 trade that sent Anthony Mantha back the other way, and it looked like Detroit may have finally picked up their first lethal true goal scorer since Marian Hossa in 2008-09.
And Vrana instantly made an impact on the Red Wings, scoring 8 goals in his first 11 games. Unfortunately, he was lost for the first half of 2021-22 when he injured his shoulder on his 1st shift of Training Camp.
Upon his return to the lineup in February, he returned to his scoring ways, scoring 13 goals in 26 games - a 41 goal pace over a full 82-game schedule.
And after he scored once in his 1st pair of games in 2022-23, he entered the NHL Player Assistant Program for an undisclosed personal matter.
But he was waived by GM Steve Yzerman shortly after a conditioning stint in the AHL; he played a handful of games for the Red Wings after being called up again, but was once again waived.
They eventually shipped him to the St. Louis Blues for a 7th round draft pick and a prospect.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 19 | 109 ANSWERS Former Detroit Red Wings forward may have run out of chances in the NHL Should the Red Wings have tried to make it work with Jakub Vrana? | ||
| Yes, they needed more scoring | 35 | 32.1 % |
| No, he didn't play defense and had off-ice issues | 74 | 67.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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