Capitals bring back familiar face, veteran forward on PTO deal

The Washington Capitals are bringing back a familiar face on a guaranteed contract. PuckPedia reported earlier on Monday that the organization will sign forward Jakub Vrana to a one-year, $775K contract after playing on a professional tryout agreement for the preseason.

Vrana’s contract won’t be registered until Tuesday when the Capitals are expected to make the signing official. He will start the season on Washington’s opening night roster and play his first game with the organization in over three years.

He was originally drafted by the Capitals with the 13th overall pick of the 2014 NHL Draft and debuted with the club in 2016-17. It wasn’t an encouraging start to his NHL career with three goals and six points in his first 21 games.

His play picked up over the next three years with 62 goals and 126 points for the Capitals in 224 games from 2018-2020. He played a part in Washington’s run to its first Stanley Cup championship in the 2018 playoffs with three goals and eight points in 23 games including the first goal of the clincher.

Although Vrana was an emerging member of the Capitals’ top six, the team traded him to the Detroit Red Wings during the 2020-21 season for Anthony Mantha. He got off to an electric start on a poor Red Wings team with eight goals and 11 points in 11 games.

His time in the Motor City was short-lived thanks to injuries and a stint in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He finished his tenure in Detroit with 22 goals and 32 points in 42 games before being traded to the St. Louis Blues in 2022-23.

Vrana finished the 2023-24 season with two goals and six points in 21 games while being demoted to their AHL affiliate for much of the year. He’s far removed from earning the three-year, $15.75M contract the Red Wings gave him in 2021, but Vrana and the Capitals hope he can turn his career around in a familiar environment.