Jakub Vrana, a member of the Washington Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup-winning squad, has signed a professional tryout (PTO) agreement with the team. This deal gives him the chance to secure a contract for the 2024-25 season if he performs well in training camp and earns a spot on the Opening Night roster.
Jakub Vrana’s NHL career has hit a snag recently. He was not re-signed after his previous three-year, $15.75 million contract ($5.25M cap hit) ended this offseason. Last season, he recorded 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 42 games with the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds and 6 points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 21 games with the St. Louis Blues.
Jakub Vrana’s return to Washington is seen as a positive development, but Washington Capitals’ senior writer Mike Vogel describes it as a “no risk/high reward proposition” for the team, noting that “most players are cut loose at the end of camp.” Vogel adds:
There are no commitments, no promises, and no guarantees from the team. Players have a limited window and few preseason games to prove they deserve a roster spot over their competitors. The Washington Capitals have been highly active this offseason, adding four established NHL forwards—Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Taylor Raddysh, and Brandon Duhaime—and have several promising young players pushing for opportunities. The odds are stacked against Vrana.
Jakub Vrana’s previous stint with Washington ended in April 2021 after conflicts with then-coach Peter Laviolette. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan felt compelled to trade Vrana and Richard Panik to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for Anthony Mantha.
There was a tug of war between coaching staff and the way he was playing,” MacLellan said at the time. “I think we had a frustrated player and we tried to move on from that.”
Jakub Vrana later reflected, “That was really tough. I didn’t expect it at all. I thought I’d get more opportunity and stay with the team longer, but that wasn’t what management wanted.”
In Detroit, Vrana scored 22 goals in 42 games over parts of three seasons. However, his time there was disrupted by a severe shoulder injury at the start of the 2021 training camp and a stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program (2022-23).
After receiving assistance, Vrana was sent down to the minors by the Red Wings and later traded to the Blues. He had a strong finish to the 2022-23 season with the Blues, scoring 10 goals in 20 games, but struggled last season, ending up on waivers and demoted to the AHL.
Jakub Vrana’s return to Washington comes as the key figures involved in his trade have all moved on. Peter Laviolette parted ways with the Capitals in the 2023 offseason, and Mantha was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2024 trade deadline (Mantha has since signed with the Calgary Flames and has been skating informally with the Caps). Chris Patrick took over as GM in July.
Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery, who was with the organization during much of Vrana’s earlier tenure, is known for his ability to maximize his players’ potential.
Leave a Reply