Player Discussion Jakub Vrana

[24 others]

Hi guys, what is your opinion about the development of Vrana? I do not follow the caps regularly and my impression is that Vrana is struggling to reach his potential. The last time I really followed Vrana was pre-draft when he was generally considered to be a better prospect than his friend Pastrnak - certainly Vrana was considered a better shooter. Now, Pastrnak is a PPG player and Vrana seems to be bouncing in and out of lineup. What is the problem here? Did they overestimate his potential? Or is something hindering him from reaching it?

Thanks for all input.

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[bur and 666 others]

Hi guys, what is your opinion about the development of Vrana? I do not follow the caps regularly and my impression is that Vrana is struggling to reach his potential. The last time I really followed Vrana was pre-draft when he was generally considered to be a better prospect than his friend Pastrnak - certainly Vrana was considered a better shooter. Now, Pastrnak is a PPG player and Vrana seems to be bouncing in and out of lineup. What is the problem here? Did they overestimate his potential? Or is something hindering him from reaching it?

Thanks for all input.

Didn't know that, there is a hope, that he can turn out to be better than 30-40 points player. As for why he hasn't reached his potential, I don't know. For some reason, offensive guy with high potential hit the wall in our system (Burakovsky, Vrana). Could be coaching, could be just we are unlucky and they didn't have much potential at the first place. Although they do have tools to succeed, so I'm gonna blame the coaching.

 

[um]

it is his first season in the NHL, it's not uncommon that guys don't break out in their rookie season.

 

[Skrudland2Lomakin]

He's been jerked around a lot. I suspect our current regime is pretty terrible at developing talent so I think he has a lot more potential then we've seen. Hard to really develop your talent when the coach has a thing for benching you for long periods of time. Then again you'll find a lot of posters here who seem to think the typical rookie develops on his own and it's Vrana's own fault for not grabbing the proverbial brass rings.

So in conclusion, is Vrana going to be good? **** if anyone actually knows.

 

[twabby]

Vrana is already a good player, and he could be even better with a different coach IMO.

He already produces at 5v5 like a second line player, he shoots with the second most frequency on the team behind only Ovechkin, scores with the 4th most frequency (behind only Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Connolly), his speed brings a much needed element to the Capitals' offense, his penalty differential is a +9 which is the best on the team, he is the best possession forward on the team, and he allows the fewest shots against/60 on the team.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

He has more to offer as a playmaker than a goalscorer I think. Sometimes, players that are projected to become snipers actually become playmakers, and vice versa.

 

[RandyHolt]

He has more to offer as a playmaker than a goalscorer I think. Sometimes, players that are projected to become snipers actually become playmakers, and vice versa.

Do you have a few examples of caps players that were projected wrong?

Vrana still comes across as a sniper first type to me.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Do you have a few examples of caps players that were projected wrong?

Vrana still comes across as a sniper first type to me.

Kuznetsov was projected as a sniper.

 

[g00n]

Give him 3 full years in the NHL to see what he can really do at this level, imo.

 

[bur and 666 others]

Do you have a few examples of caps players that were projected wrong?

Vrana still comes across as a sniper first type to me.

Every caps prospect that has been drafted as a center, no?

 

[RandyHolt]

Kuznetsov was projected as a sniper.

5 Years in the KHL point to pass first / dual threat.

241 Games

73

94

167

[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

I wish there were more prospect/player websites that fully elaborates on a players style. http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects is one of the few.

Bored - try and find me a talent analysis/play style on either of our 2 new D.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

5 Years in the KHL point to pass first / dual threat.

241 Games

73

94

167

[TFOOT] [/TFOOT]

I wish there were more prospect/player websites that fully elaborates on a players style. http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects is one of the few.

Bored - try and find me a talent analysis/play style on either of our 2 new D.

I have a better example, Ovi was projected as a two-way winger. Proof in video

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Ovy two way? Hah!

 

[txpd]

Vrana is already a good player, and he could be even better with a different coach IMO.

He already produces at 5v5 like a second line player, he shoots with the second most frequency on the team behind only Ovechkin, scores with the 4th most frequency (behind only Ovechkin, Kuznetsov, and Connolly), his speed brings a much needed element to the Capitals' offense, his penalty differential is a +9 which is the best on the team, he is the best possession forward on the team, and he allows the fewest shots against/60 on the team.

Yes. He is a good player already if metrics won games and put points on the scoresheet. I don't think Vrana would want to negotiate a contract with his production over the last 30 games or more.

I expect that he will continue to grow and find ways to put his name on the sheet on a regular basis.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Ovy two way? Hah!

Not as ridiculous as it seems, he just wasn't developed like that. Ovi could've turned out to be a very different player if a strong emphasis was put on defensive play early on in his career.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Meh....being a diligent 2 way forward, well the player has to want to do that. I guarantee you no NHL coach has ever told him not to backcheck with real effort. Anyway...moving on.

 

[RandyHolt]

Aren't all top prospect high scoring forwards projected to eventually add defense to their games? I don't think I have ever heard that a guy will never get better defensively. Keeping it simple, a pass first vs a shoot first guy that were pegged completely wrong, are the ones I am interested in.

 

[txpd]

Aren't all top prospect high scoring forwards projected to eventually add defense to their games? I don't think I have ever heard that a guy will never get better defensively. Keeping it simple, a pass first vs a shoot first guy that were pegged completely wrong, are the ones I am interested in.

Some are just better and more interested than others. Just like in basketball, defense is about effort and want to as much as anything else.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Early in his career Ovie back checked hard on a semi regular basis. He played D the way he played O back then: he trucked dudes. It wasn't uncommon to see him hustle back and try to flatten the puck carrier, and he was often successful. He was never a positional or stick checking genius, but he tried in his own way.

It wasn't until the BB era that he really got lazy on D and the back check.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Early in his career Ovie back checked hard on a semi regular basis. He played D the way he played O back then: he trucked dudes. It wasn't uncommon to see him hustle back and try to flatten the puck carrier, and he was often successful. He was never a positional or stick checking genius, but he tried in his own way.

It wasn't until the BB era that he really got lazy on D and the back check.

I sure miss that guy who moved his feet all the time, before some idiots told him to slow down and to “save himself”.

 

[Hivemind]

In the pre-lockout/clutch and grab era, Ovechkin would likely have been considered a two-way winger. Defense was much more about physically overwhelming people then, and there were less fast break plays that you had to speed back up the ice for. Plus the two-line pass rule would have forced him to cheat less on breakouts.

 

[EroCaps]

I distinctly remember Ovechkin being touted as "Kovalchuck with a defensive game". And to be fair, AO can play defense when he wants to. And he hits like a brick shithouse.

Side note, Vrana may end up having a brighter future than Burakovsky. His speed and adequate hockey IQ should translate into him eventually potting 20-30 goals. Bura looks lost on the ice, still, after 3 seasons.

 

[SDBondra]

It’s because Trotz is a bozo.

 

[philip]

I like Vrana's speed and willingness to cut in behind the defender and go straight at the net. He's one of the few truly quick players we've got, and he needs to stay

 

[RandyHolt]

Chiasson put some red bull in Vrana's corn flakes. Either the Isles D are damn slow or he is damn fast. He is not a grinder and needs to use his speed to gain an edge whenever he can. He does great down low and in tight. That's his office.

I loved his footrace lateral R to L move scoring back far side top shelf. The thing is the G barely moved over and he still burned him, the puck right under his chin.

Vrana Boyd Chiasson

No. 13: Jakub Vrana wins footrace, scores mind-bending goal