Recently departed St. Louis Blues forward can capitalize on new opportunity

Jakub Vrana will be nothing more than a speck in St. Louis Blues history since things never went well for him in Gateway City. Across roughly one season and one month - he joined the Blues in March 2023, Vrana saw time in just 41 games, where he scored 12 goals and put up 20 points, nowhere near what he recorded once upon a time while with the Washington Capitals. 

And it’s to Washington he will return, having received a professional tryout (PTO) from his former organization. Thanks to his lackluster performance in Gateway City this past season, where he finished with just six points and two goals in 21 contests, the Blues likely had zero issues moving on from him. 

That said, Washington is where it was at for Vrana, where he suited up for 284 games with the Capitals. In that frame, he accumulated 157 points and 76 goals before he made his way to Detroit, and finally St. Louis. 

Will the former St. Louis Blues forward revive his career in D.C?

It won’t be easy for Jakub Vrana to resurrect what was once at least a solid career, given the plethora of moves the Capitals made this offseason. Washington is clearly trying to establish a winner around aging star player Alex Ovechkin in a last-ditch effort to compete for a Stanley Cup while he’s still playing. 

That said, Vrana could end up as organizational depth, a role he played with the Blues this past season when he finished with 36 points and 16 goals in 42 contests. Vrana also spent parts of the 2022-23 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins before the Red Wings traded him to St. Louis. There, he finished with 11 points and six goals in 17 games. 

Overall, Vrana has already proven he can show promise in his previous stint with the Capitals, so maybe he’ll find his groove once more, which would lead to a one-year deal with the team. From there, he could either stay with the big club or spend most of next season with the AHL’s Hershey Bears.