The Washington Capitals season is inching closer and a lot of us are wondering what signing Jakub Vrana to a professional tryout agreement means for the team ahead of training camp. It'll be here before you know it. Before we all know it.
The 28 year old got traded for Anthony Mantha three years ago and the player has been in and out of the player assistance program as well as a short stint with the St. Louis Blues. He told Sammi Silber of The Hockey News the other day:
""Just looking for an opportunity.""Jakub Vrana
Vrana wasn't always down bad. With the Red Wings he scored a lot before shoulder surgery sidelined him. Anthony Mantha though his start was slower and he faced a lot of criticism from fans and pundits alike. He did have four goals inhis first four games.
What V is looking for is consistency to his game and it was something he didn't quite have in Detroit or St. Louis because of the shoulder surgery and the subsequent stints in the NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Vrana has also seen ice time in the AHL but he's ready for a fresh start.
Vrana will face the likes of Taylor Raddysh who was added on in the offseason. Some Hershey Bears looking to make the lineup include Riley Sutter and Bogdan Trineyev. To make the team out of training camp you need 14 forwards at the very least and V could be the 13th forward which would be pretty neat considering that was his jersey number since getting drafted by the Caps in 2014.
It'll be tricky but that's what training camp is all about. It's about making the team. He had his best two years ever with the Caps after the Cup run. He had 24 goals and 23 assists for 47 points in 2018-19 and in 2019-20 had 25 goals and 27 assists for 52 points before the pandemic shut down our joy for hockey.
In the Stanley Cup run he had three goals and five assists for eight points. Each goal in that playoff run was bigger than the other. A goal in Game 2 against Pittsburgh, a goal in Game 5 against Pittsburgh that brought the house down and then again the Stanley Cup clincher on a breakaway.
So we know Vrana has the tools the question is can he keep using them in the informal skates.