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Jakub Vrána

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Jakub Vrána
Vrána with the Washington Capitals in 2019
Born (1996-02-28) 28 February 1996 (age 28)
Prague, Czech Republic
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 197 lb (89 kg; 14 st 1 lb)
Position Left wing
Shoots Left
NHL team
Former teams		 Washington Capitals
Linköping HC
Detroit Red Wings
St. Louis Blues
National team  Czech Republic
NHL draft 13th overall, 2014
Washington Capitals
Playing career 2013–present

Jakub Vrána (born 28 February 1996) is a Czech professional ice hockey forward for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Vrána was selected by the Capitals in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. Vrána won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Capitals in 2018.

Early life

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Vrána was born on 28 February 1996, in Prague[1] to parents Jana and Karel.[2] He began skating at a rink owned by the brother of former Capitals scout Vojtech Kucera before moving away from home at 15 to play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL).[3] Vrána played in the 2009 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with his minor ice hockey team from Chomutov.[4]

Playing career

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SHL

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Vrána made his Elitserien debut playing with Linköping HC during the 2012–13 season. Upon making his Elitserien debut in October 2012, Vrána became the youngest foreign player in the history of the league and the ninth-youngest overall.[5] He subsequently spent the following season splitting his time between Linkoping's junior and senior team. Vrána registered three points and two penalty minutes in 24 games with the senior team and collected 25 points in 24 games with the junior club.[6] At the conclusion of the 2013–14 season, Vrána was ranked fourth overall among European skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.[7]

Washington Capitals

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Vrána with the Hershey Bears in 2015

Vrána was eventually drafted in the first round, 13th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.[6] After the 2014 draft, Vrána attended the Capitals development camp and signed a three-year, entry-level contract.[8] Vrána was subsequently returned to Sweden for the entirety of the 2014–15 season before joining the Capitals American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Hershey Bears, for three regular season games.[1] Vrána then began his first full professional season in North America with the Bears during their 2015–16 season. He tallied two goals and four assists through six games with the Bears before suffering a wrist injury.[9] He missed about three months of the regular season after undergoing wrist surgery but still finished the regular season with 16 goals with 18 assists through 36 games.[3] Vrána continued to score for the Bears during their post-season run and tallied eight goals and six assists through 21 games.[1]

During the 2016 off-season, Vrána worked on gaining weight and returned to the Capitals development camp 10 pounds heavier.[3] In his second season in North America, Vrána once again began with the Hershey Bears but received his first NHL call-up on 29 November 2016. At the time of the recall, he registered 16 points through 18 games and was tied for third in the league in goals.[10] He subsequently made his NHL debut on 1 December against the New York Islanders and skated on the Capitals second line with Evgeny Kuznetsov and André Burakovsky.[11] A few games later, on 9 December, Vrána scored his first NHL goal in a 4–1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.[12] Vrána also tallied his first multi-point game with two assists on 13 December against the Islanders.[13] After recording three points through 12 games, he was reassigned to the Bears on 1 January 2017.[14] Vrána was recalled again the following month[15] but was reassigned without playing a single game.[16] However, following injuries to the Capitals lineup,[17] Vrána and Zach Sanford were recalled to the NHL level on 17 February.[18]

Vrána made the Capitals opening night roster for the 2017–18 season.[19] His rookie season was considered a "roller-coaster", ending up 13 goals scored and 14 assists in 73 games. He made his Stanley Cup playoffs debut during the 2018 playoffs, providing the "speedy, offensive complement to the shutdown duo" of Nicklas Bäckström and T. J. Oshie on Washington's second line.[20] Vrána scored his first Stanley Cup playoffs goal on 29 April 2018 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.[21] The Capitals would go on to defeat the Penguins in six games and then win the Eastern Conference by defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games.[22] He scored the opening goal in game five of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights which resulted in the Capitals' victory.[23] Vrána ended the playoffs with eight points in 23 games to help the Capitals win their first Stanley Cup.

During the 2018–19 season, Vrána set career highs in goals, assists, and points, while also ranking third on the team in goals. He also became the 15th player in franchise history to record at least 24 goals in a single season before the age of 24. As a result of his success, the Capitals re-signed Vrána to a new two-year, $6.7 million contract on 16 July 2019.[24]

Detroit Red Wings

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On 12 April 2021, Vrána was traded to the Detroit Red Wings, along with Richard Pánik, a first-round pick in 2021 and a second-round pick in 2022, in exchange for Anthony Mantha.[25] Upon joining the team, Vrána tallied 11 points through 11 games and tied numerous franchise records. During a game against the Dallas Stars on 22 April, Vrána became the 26th player in Red Wings history to score four-or-more goals in a game and the second player in franchise history to record a hat trick within his first four games of joining the team.

On 10 August 2021, Vrána signed a three-year, $16.25 million contract with the Red Wings.[26] Following the signing, Vrána was injured during the first 10 minutes of Red Wings practice and was expected to miss three to four months.[27] Vrána only played 26 games in the 2021–22 season due to his injury, but contributed 13 goals and six assists in his shortened season. On 19 October 2022, Vrána was placed in the NHL's "Player Assistance Program."[28]

In January 2023, the Red Wings placed Vrána on waivers for the purpose of assigning him to the team's AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins.[29] Vrana cleared waivers without being claimed by another team.[29]

St. Louis Blues

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On 3 March 2023, the Red Wings traded Vrána to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Dylan McLaughlin and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.[30] Vrána seemed to rediscover his scoring touch with the Blues, scoring 10 goals in 20 games.

Vrána hoped to continue his recent wave of success with the Blues in the 2023–24 season, and he was named to the Blues' opening night roster after a successful preseason.[31] Unfortunately, this success would not continue, as Vrána would miss practices for undisclosed reasons, as well as be healthy scratched throughout the season. On 11 December, 2023, it was announced that the Blues placed Vrána on waivers. However this was later retracted, and instead the Blues would make it clear that Vrána would be available for trade.[32] Vrána would continue being a healthy scratch afterwards, and would play two more games for the Blues before being loaned to their AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds.[33] On 27 February, 2024, the AHL suspended Vrána two games for cross-checking Bridgeport Islanders forward Cole Bardreau.[34] Vrána played out the remainder of his contract with the Blues in the AHL, finishing with 36 points through 42 regular season games.

Return to Washington

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As a free agent from the Blues, Vrána was unable to earn a contract offer over the summer. On 15 August 2024, Vrána agreed to an invitation to return to his original club, the Washington Capitals, on a professional tryout agreement (PTO) for their 2024–25 training camp.[35] He subsequently made the opening night roster and signed a one-year contract with the Capitals.[36]

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2010–11 HC Letci Letňany CZE U16 18 28 15 43 30 — — — — —
2010–11 HC Letci Letňany CZE U18 26 19 10 29 10 — — — — —
2011–12 Linköpings HC J18 21 16 6 22 2 — — — — —
2011–12 Linköpings HC J18 Allsv 11 12 11 23 4 3 2 2 4 12
2011–12 Linköpings HC J20 3 1 0 1 2 — — — — —
2012–13 Linköpings HC J18 Allsv 3 3 2 5 2 2 1 0 1 12
2012–13 Linköpings HC J20 32 20 12 32 49 5 1 0 1 0
2012–13 Linköpings HC SEL 5 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
2013–14 Linköpings HC J18 Allsv 1 0 0 0 0 3 1 2 3 4
2013–14 Linköpings HC J20 24 14 11 25 26 — — — — —
2013–14 Linköpings HC SHL 24 2 1 3 2 14 1 1 2 6
2014–15 Linköpings HC SHL 44 12 12 24 12 11 4 1 5 2
2014–15 Hershey Bears AHL 3 0 5 5 0 10 2 4 6 2
2015–16 Hershey Bears AHL 36 16 18 34 20 21 8 6 14 2
2016–17 Hershey Bears AHL 49 19 17 36 28 7 0 0 0 4
2016–17 Washington Capitals NHL 21 3 3 6 2 — — — — —
2017–18 Washington Capitals NHL 73 13 14 27 12 23 3 5 8 2
2018–19 Washington Capitals NHL 82 24 23 47 27 7 0 0 0 6
2019–20 Washington Capitals NHL 69 25 27 52 18 8 0 0 0 2
2020–21 Washington Capitals NHL 39 11 14 25 8 — — — — —
2020–21 Detroit Red Wings NHL 23 13 5 18 2 — — — — —
2021–22 Detroit Red Wings NHL 26 13 6 19 16 — — — — —
2022–23 Detroit Red Wings NHL 5 1 1 2 0 — — — — —
2022–23 Grand Rapids Griffins AHL 17 6 5 11 4 — — — — —
2022–23 St. Louis Blues NHL 20 10 4 14 10 — — — — —
2023–24 St. Louis Blues NHL 21 2 4 6 8 — — — — —
2023–24 Springfield Thunderbirds AHL 42 16 20 36 54 — — — — —
SHL totals 73 14 13 27 14 25 5 2 7 8
NHL totals 367 110 99 209 103 38 3 5 8 10
Medal record
Representing  Czech Republic
Ice hockey
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Finland

International

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Year Team Event Result GP G A Pts PIM
2012 Czech Republic U17 8th 5 2 0 2 4
2012 Czech Republic WJC18 8th 6 4 4 8 4
2013 Czech Republic WJC 5th 6 0 1 1 2
2013 Czech Republic WJC18 7th 5 2 0 2 2
2013 Czech Republic IH18 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 4 3 1 4 4
2014 Czech Republic WJC 6th 5 1 1 2 2
2014 Czech Republic WJC18 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 7 8 2 10 4
2015 Czech Republic WJC 6th 5 2 1 3 2
2019 Czech Republic WC 4th 9 4 1 5 0
2021 Czech Republic WC 7th 7 2 2 4 4
2022 Czech Republic WC 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 10 1 0 1 4
Junior totals 43 22 10 32 24
Senior totals 26 7 3 10 8

Awards and honors

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Award Year
NHL
Stanley Cup champion 2018 [37]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Jakub Vrána". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. ^ Gulitti, Tom (26 November 2020). "Vrana still inspired by mother's courage during battle with cancer". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Khurshudyan, Isabelle (30 September 2016). "To compete for a roster spot, Jakub Vrana had to weigh his options". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  4. ^ "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  5. ^ Vavrina, Radoslav (15 June 2013). "Czech prospect Vrana adapting well to Swedish hockey". Hockeys Future. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Capitals Select Jakub Vrana in the First Round of the 2014 NHL Draft". National Hockey League. 28 June 2014. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  7. ^ "NHL CSS 2014 International skaters final rankings". National Hockey League. 8 April 2014. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  8. ^ Prewitt, Alex (15 July 2014). "First-round pick Jakub Vrana signs with Capitals". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  9. ^ Piscotta, Tony (12 January 2016). "Hope for Washington Capitals' AHL prospects, despite mediocre record". Hockeys Future. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  10. ^ "Caps Recall Jakub Vrana and Paul Carey from Hershey". National Hockey League. 30 November 2016. Archived from the original on 28 June 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  11. ^ El-Bashir, Tarik (2 December 2016). "Despite Caps' loss, Jakub Vrana has a memorable NHL debut". NBC. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
  12. ^ Yerdon, Joe (9 December 2016). "Jakub Vrana scores first NHL goal in win for Capitals". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  13. ^ Vogel, Mike (14 December 2016). "#CapsIsles Postgame Notebook: Two For Tuesday". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  14. ^ "Capitals Re-assign Jakub Vrana to Hershey". National Hockey League. 1 January 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  15. ^ "Capitals Recall Vrana from Hershey". National Hockey League. 3 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  16. ^ "Capitals Re-assign Vrana to Hershey". National Hockey League. 5 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  17. ^ Gulitti, Tom (10 February 2017). "Andre Burakovsky of Capitals to miss 4-6 weeks". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  18. ^ "Capitals Recall Zach Sanford and Jakub Vrana". National Hockey League. 17 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  19. ^ "NHL announces rosters for opening night". NHL.com. 4 October 2017. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  20. ^ Khurshudyan, Isabelle (27 September 2018). "Jakub Vrana, Capitals' last high-end forward prospect, plans to keep his spot in the top six". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 7 November 2018. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  21. ^ Regan, J. J. (29 April 2018). "Connolly nearly costs Vrana his first playoff goal, but goalie interference coin flip goes Caps' way". nbcsports.com. Archived from the original on 27 May 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2018.
  22. ^ Regan, J.J (23 May 2018). "4 reasons the Caps beat the Lightning to win the Eastern Conference". nbcsports.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  23. ^ Oland, Ian (7 June 2018). "Jakub Vrana scores breakaway goal to open scoring in Game Five". russianmachineneverbreaks.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  24. ^ "Capitals Re-sign Jakub Vrana". National Hockey League. 16 July 2019. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  25. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (12 April 2021). "Red Wings acquire Vrana, Panik, 1st and 2nd Rounders from Caps for Mantha". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  26. ^ Kujawa, Kyle (10 August 2021). "Red Wings agree to terms with Jakub Vrana on three-year deal". National Hockey League. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  27. ^ "Vrana out at least four months for Red Wings with shoulder injury". National Hockey League. 30 September 2021. Archived from the original on 26 December 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Wings' Vrana enters player assistance program". 19 October 2022.
  29. ^ a b St. James, Helena. "Jakub Vrana clears waivers, remains on Detroit Red Wings payroll". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  30. ^ "Blues acquire Vrana from Red Wings". NHL.com. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  31. ^ "Blues name roster for 2023-24 Opening Night | St. Louis Blues". www.nhl.com. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  32. ^ "Blues Do Not Place Jakub Vrana On Waivers, Make Him Available For Trade". Pro Hockey Rumors. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  33. ^ Thunderbirds, Springfield. "Blues Loan F Jakub Vrana to T-Birds | Springfield Thunderbirds". www.springfieldthunderbirds.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  34. ^ Rosner, Stefen (27 February 2024). "Thunderbirds Jakub Vrana Suspended Two Games For Cross-Checking Bridgeport's Cole Bardreau". The Hockey News New York Islanders News, Analysis and More. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  35. ^ "Vrana returns to Capitals on PTO". The Sports Network. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  36. ^ "Capitals Sign Jakub Vrana". Washington Capitals. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
  37. ^ "The Washington Capitals, after years of frustration, win the Stanley Cup". The New York Times. 7 June 2018. Archived from the original on 8 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
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Awards and achievements
Preceded by Washington Capitals first round draft pick
2014 		Succeeded by
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