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Jakub Vrana

St. Louis Blues Acquire Jakub Vrana

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The first official trade of deadline day has come across the wire. As made official by the team this morning, the St. Louis Blues have acquired forward Jakub Vrana from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for forward Dylan McLaughlin and a 2025 seventh-round pick. Per Chris Johnston on TSN’s TradeCentre program, the Red Wings retain 50% of Vrana’s $5.25MM cap hit.

Of note, McLaughlin won’t actually be leaving the Blues organization. After announcing the trade, the Red Wings immediately loaned McLaughlin back to the Blues AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.

Vrana’s acquisition continues a newfound trend of reclamation projects in St. Louis as the team enters a new era without Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko. He’s had an incredibly difficult 2022-23, entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program just a few weeks into the season. After more than a two-month absence, he was waived and sent to the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to extend his stay in the minors after a conditioning stint. He posted six goals and 11 points in 17 games there and didn’t record a point in three outings after his recent recall to Detroit.

It’s a season that’s made many forget Vrana scored 20-plus goals in back-to-back seasons in 2019 and 2020, and had 13 goals in just 26 games in 2021-22. The 27-year-old may be on a steep cap hit with a concerning injury history, but he has obvious scoring potential if he can string some games together with an increased role in St. Louis.

While the return for Detroit is minimal, especially after parting with Anthony Mantha to acquire him, the trade provides the Red Wings with some salary cap benefits. Elite Prospects’ Sean Shapiro reports that the Red Wings and Vrana were likely headed for a buyout had he not been traded, leaving Detroit with a shorter cap penalty in a retained salary transaction. It’s a good solution for both sides, with a 2025 seventh-round pick just a hair above “future considerations” in terms of value.

Detroit Red Wings Place Lucas Raymond On IR, Recall Jakub Vrana

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After he missed the last two games, the Detroit Red Wings placed forward Lucas Raymond on injured reserve today, retroactive to February 10. The team announced that Jakub Vrana has been recalled from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins to replace Raymond’s roster spot.

It’s an unfortunate absence for Raymond. Last Friday, he sustained a lower-body injury after colliding with teammate Ben Chiarot in practice. He’ll miss at least the team’s next two games, a back-to-back in Alberta against Edmonton and Calgary.

Again in a top-six role, Raymond has 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 50 games with Detroit. He’d yet to miss a game in his young NHL career until last weekend’s absence.

For Vrana, it’s been a long road back to the NHL since entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program last October. He was out of action for two months until returning to Red Wings practice in mid-December, but he hasn’t played a game for Detroit since then. The team assigned him a conditioning stint to Grand Rapids days later, where he’s remained since, clearing waivers in the process.

Vrana ended up suiting up 17 times for Grand Rapids, recording six goals and five assists for 11 points. It’s not the type of production you’d like to see in the minors from a player who’s been a bona fide top-six winger over the past three seasons. But the reported deteriorating relationship between Vrana and the Red Wings might need to be considered as a factor.

With this year and next left on a contract paying him $5.25MM per season, this could be a showcase move for Vrana. He does have some trade value, especially if Detroit retains salary, and especially if he can put up some points in his return to the lineup. The 26-year-old has been on pace for at least 20 goals in four consecutive seasons, although injuries and COVID have hampered his numbers since 2020.

Atlantic Notes: Matthews, Vrana, Girgensons

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The Maple Leafs will welcome back their top center as Auston Matthews confirmed to reporters, including Sports Illustrated’s David Alter (Twitter link) that he is ready to return after missing two games with an undisclosed injury.  That’s certainly a big boost for Toronto as the 25-year-old has 20 goals and 27 assists in 41 games while anchoring their top line and power play.  However, Matthews indicated that the injury is “something I’m going to have to stay on top of” which suggests that he hasn’t fully recovered from it and that it’s likely going to linger over the second half of the season.  Toronto sits nine points behind Boston in the Atlantic heading into tonight’s matchup between the two teams.

More from the Atlantic:

  • In the AHL, there is a rule that prohibits teams from loading up on veterans as it is a developmental league. That rule is proving to be a problem for Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana as it was relayed in the preview of their game last night (Twitter link) that the rule was going to keep him out of the lineup for the second time.  The 26-year-old has struggled since joining Grand Rapids as he has just an assist in six games and now that he’s part of a veteran rotation, it will be even more difficult for him to rediscover his scoring touch.
  • Sabres center Zemgus Girgensons did not accompany the team to Nashville and will miss tonight’s game due to illness, relays Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. The 29-year-old continues to be a fixture in Buffalo’s bottom six, a role he has held for nearly a decade and has four goals and six assists in 39 games so far this season.

Jakub Vrana Clears Waivers

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Jan 4: The Red Wings’ gamble has paid off, as Vrana cleared waivers and has been assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins. This would actually increase Vrana’s trade value if Detroit is looking to make a move, given he can now be stashed in the minors while he gets back up to speed by any acquiring team. Fabbri has been officially activated from injured reserve to take his place.

Jan 3: The Detroit Red Wings were expected to place a player on waivers today to make room for Robby Fabbri’s return, but no one expected it to be Jakub Vrana. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that the forward, who only recently moved to the next phase of the Player Assistance Program, has been placed on waivers today.

Vrana, 26, is in the second season of a three-year, $15.75MM contract he signed with the Red Wings in 2021 after being acquired from the Washington Capitals. The 13th overall pick from 2014, he had shown an ability to score at a high level and appeared to be a core piece for the team moving forward. Since arriving in Detroit, though, Vrana has been in and out of the lineup, and has just 39 games played as a Red Wing. This season he has appeared at the NHL level just twice, recording two points.

This could be nothing more than the Red Wings, believing his contract will get him through waivers, allowing Vrana to get his game back in order at the minor league level. But even with the $5.25MM cap hit, there is at least some risk of losing him entirely. Several rebuilding clubs have the cap space necessary to fit him in, and given his relative youth and strong history in the league, it may be worth the chance.

Through 323 NHL games, Vrana has scored 98 goals and 189 points, a 25-goal, 48-point pace when expanded to a full 82-game schedule. While other teams may not have a full understanding of his current situation, it would be hard to blame them for taking a swing with a waiver claim. His contract, while expensive, does expire after next season and leave him an unrestricted free agent, meaning for a club like the Anaheim Ducks, Chicago Blackhawks, or Arizona Coyotes, there would be the possibility of a short-term flip for more assets a year from now.

That would of course mean committing to a significant salary, though. Vrana is owed $5.75MM next season in the slightly back-loaded deal.

The Red Wings, meanwhile, have some big contract negotiations upcoming, so this is perhaps an attempt to get out from under Vrana’s deal. Dylan Larkin, Pius Suter, and Tyler Bertuzzi are all unrestricted free agents at the end of the year, with the former likely demanding a huge raise over his current $6.1MM cap hit. If Steve Yzerman no longer believes in Vrana as a core piece, he could be looking for a little financial freedom by offering him up to the rest of the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Domi, Kraken Prospects, Vrana, Wotherspoon

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As soon as Max Domi signed with Chicago just minutes into free agency last summer, the expectation was that he’d be traded at the deadline when there wasn’t much money left on his one-year, $3MM contract.  However, in a recent 32 Thoughts appearance, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek reports (video link) that it’s not a guarantee that Domi moves.  He’s enjoying a nice bounce-back year with the Blackhawks, collecting 11 goals and 13 assists in 36 games so far, good for second on the team in scoring.  He’s also winning draws at a career-best clip of 56.3%.  If he’s happy in his role and having some success, it may make more sense for Chicago to try to extend the 27-year-old.  That’s a discussion GM Kyle Davidson is expected to have with Domi’s representation in the coming weeks.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • A pair of Kraken prospects are on the move in the CHL. OHL London announced that they’ve acquired forward Ryan Winterton from Hamilton as part of a four-player trade.  The 19-year-old was a third-round pick (67th overall) in 2021 and has 46 points in 37 games so far this season.  Meanwhile, Sherbrooke of the QMJHL announced the acquisition of winger Jacob Melanson from Acadie-Bathurst.  The 19-year-old has 25 goals in just 27 games this season.  Both prospects have already signed their entry-level contracts with Seattle.
  • The Red Wings will extend Jakub Vrana’s conditioning stint by three more games, relays MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link). The 26-year-old has already played in three games and was held off the scoresheet and the team feels he could benefit from a longer stretch in the minors.  This is the only extension that Detroit can give Vrana; he’ll have to be recalled once these three games are up.
  • The Devils announced (Twitter link) that they’ve assigned defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon to AHL Utica. He was recalled last week for his second stint with the big club this season but didn’t get into a game with New Jersey; his last NHL appearance came back in January 2017.  So far this season, the 29-year-old has two goals and seven assists in 23 games with the Comets.

Atlantic Notes: Vrana, Fabbri, Hollowell, Smith

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Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana will report to AHL Grand Rapids for a three-game conditioning stint, reports Max Bultman of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Vrana was recently reinstated by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and after skating with Detroit for a week, it appears as if he’s ready to get some game action in.  Until he’s ready to return to the NHL lineup, Vrana won’t be part of Detroit’s active roster.

Meanwhile, there could be more help on the horizon for the Red Wings as Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports (Twitter link) that winger Robby Fabbri could be ready to return to the lineup on January 4th.  The veteran has missed the entire season so far after undergoing knee surgery back in March.  Fabbri had 17 goals in 56 games in 2021-22 and his possible return coupled with Vrana’s could give Detroit two-thirds of a strong secondary scoring trio as they look to hang around the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. It’s the fourth emergency recall for the 24-year-old in less than two weeks as the team hedges their bets with some of their injured blueliners.  Toronto had an open roster spot so no other move needed to be made to bring up Hollowell, who has two assists in six NHL games so far this season.
  • As expected, the Bruins have recalled winger Craig Smith from AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 33-year-old cleared waivers earlier this month and the team will likely paper him down to the minors on off days to bank a bit of cap space.  They did so over the weekend, saving a little more than $18K by doing so.  Smith has four points in 19 games for Boston so far this season.

Jakub Vrana Enters Follow-Up Phase Of Player Assistance Program

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Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana is now eligible to return to action after moving into the follow-up phase of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. According to a press release from the league, his care “continues to be administered” but the dynamic forward’s status has been changed to available.

Vrana entered the program in October and has played just two games this season. He scored 13 goals and 19 points in 26 games in 2021-22, and is on the second season of a three-year, $15.75MM contract with Detroit.

The team has not yet made any statement on when Vrana will be back in the lineup, but given the two months that it has been since he last suited up, it may take some time before he can contribute. The Red Wings are set to play the Ottawa Senators tomorrow afternoon. The team has enough cap space and roster room to activate Vrana if they choose to do so.

Jakub Vrana Placed In NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program

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As announced today by the NHL, Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana has been placed in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Vrana will be unavailable for an indefinite period of time while he receives care as prescribed and overseen by the program.

Vrana will return to game action for Detroit when he is cleared for on-ice competition by the program’s administrators, according to the release.

26 years old, Vrana is entering his second full season with the Red Wings. The Prague-born forward had a goal and an assist in his first two games with Detroit this year after he missed 56 games last season with a shoulder injury.

PHR sends its best wishes to Vrana while he gets the help he needs.

Tyler Bertuzzi Out 4-6 Weeks With Upper-Body Injury

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The Detroit Red Wings are off to a fast start this season but will be without one of their key forwards for the next month. Tyler Bertuzzi has been ruled out for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury suffered over the weekend. Bertuzzi was removed from the game on Saturday after just eight minutes and did not return. The team will also be without Jakub Vrana tonight who is away for personal reasons.

Somewhat quietly, Bertuzzi had the best season of his career in 2021-22, scoring 30 goals and 62 points in 68 games. While the Red Wings finished well out of the playoffs, he was one of the players who showed real promise, after missing almost the entire previous year due to injury. Now, approaching unrestricted free agency next summer, it was a big year for Bertuzzi, who could set himself up for a massive extension with the Red Wings or an even bigger deal on the open market.

A six-week absence certainly isn’t going to help his case, though there aren’t many players on the Red Wings roster who can replace his mix of skill and grit. In the meantime, Dominik Kubalik is getting the first crack at the first line, with Filip Zadina jumping into the second group beside Andrew Copp and David Perron. It is quite an opportunity for Kubalik, who was cut loose by the Chicago Blackhawks and signed a two-year, $5MM contract with the Red Wings. He has averaged just 12 minutes of ice time through the first two games but did score on Saturday and has shown an ability to skate with good players in the past.

As a rookie, Kubalik scored 30 goals playing mostly with Jonathan Toews. If he can find that same kind of chemistry with Dylan Larkin, perhaps he can rediscover that scoring touch on a more regular basis.

Injury Notes: Vrana, Blueger, Karlsson

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The Detroit Red Wings have officially activated Jakub Vrana from injured reserve, and expect him to play in tonight’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Vrana has yet to play this season after undergoing shoulder surgery in late September, a procedure that has kept him out much longer than the initial four-month timeline. Vrana lit Detroit on fire last season after coming over from the Washington Capitals, scoring eight times in 11 games including a four-goal effort in his fourth appearance. He’ll try to continue that success now that he’s back, though it certainly may take him some time to get up to speed.

Interestingly enough, the Red Wings have actually moved Danny DeKeyser to injured reserve to make room. DeKeyser cleared waivers earlier today, which means he could have been assigned to the minor leagues. Instead, he’ll go to the injured list meaning he can stay with the team as he deals with whatever this new ailment is.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins have their own forward returning, as they have activated Teddy Blueger from injured reserve. Blueger hasn’t played since he suffered a broken jaw in a January game against the Winnipeg Jets, but is expected to resume his spot as a checking-line center for the Penguins tonight. The 27-year-old was actually on track to blow by his career-highs in goals and points before the injury (and still likely will by the end of the season) after scoring eight goals and 17 points in his first 40 games. Blueger missed 16 games following his jaw surgery.
  • Erik Karlsson could be back this week as well, as San Jose Sharks head coach Bob Boughner told reporters including Curtis Pashelka of the Bay Area News Group that the veteran defenseman could suit up on Thursday. Karlsson was in the midst of a bounce-back season before undergoing forearm surgery in January and hasn’t played in nearly two months. In his first 33 games, the two-time Norris Trophy winner had 26 points, already eclipsing his total from the 2020-21 season.

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