Confirmed Trade: [STL/DET] Jakub Vrana (50% retained) for Dylan McLaughlin, 2025 7th round pick

[Henkka]

Quite sure this case is not just count on point-scoring.

Vrana broke some team rules and on Yzerman's vision, that's not acceptable. In a rebuild, he'll want to build the right and only culture first. Period. The SC winner will be built around that culture. He saw enough of those crap Bob Probert days on his career. When Probert was gone after 93-94, Wings did turn instantly for a powerhouse.

Like, Yzerman was ready to pay 5M for that culture. He sees very heavy value on that.

Vrana was given a 2nd chance at Detroit (or maybe it was 3rd or 4th chance after those 2nd chances at Washington) and now he is getting another chance at St. Louis. Hope good for him. It's time for him to start acting like a pro.

Would not sign him to long-term deal with next contract. Will be interesting summer 2024.

 

[Reality Czech]

There’s no evidence at all of him being a jerk. He seemed to do just fine in Washington.

I’m not concerned about that.

I wouldn't say there is evidence of him being a "jerk" but he has clashed with coaches on the Czech national team as well as in Washington. That being said, most people grow up sooner or later so I wouldn't assume this trend will continue forever.

Theres really no way to judge this trade without knowing what happened behind the scenes.

Did he ask for a trade? Was it recommended he get out of the atmosphere that led to whatever issues? Was he being an issue to the teammates? Who knows.

Good to see him overcoming his issues so far though

According to Vrana in a recent interview, he did not ask for a trade and was shocked when he was traded. He felt that he would get another chance to re-establish himself in Detroit, but obviously they had already made up their mind about him. But I wouldn't expect to get the whole story any time soon, if ever.

 

[banks]

I wouldn't say there is evidence of him being a "jerk" but he has clashed with coaches on the Czech national team as well as in Washington. That being said, most people grow up sooner or later so I wouldn't assume this trend will continue forever.



According to Vrana in a recent interview, he did not ask for a trade and was shocked when he was traded. He felt that he would get another chance to re-establish himself in Detroit, but obviously they had already made up their mind about him. But I wouldn't expect to get the whole story any time soon, if ever.

Yep. There's probably a lot more going on behind the scenes for every team than we ever hear about. And that's fine. There's no reason for every issue or disagreement to be made public.

Vrana is a good hockey player. For now, everyone should be content with that. I'm really happy for the guy.

 

[Mike Liut]

Vrana looks like a better and healthy version of Fabbri.

 

[ArenaRat]

Yzerman also needed cap space and Drouin (among others) was going to get paid, while Sergachev was on his rookie deal. Pretty elite trade I'd say..

 

[Frenzy31]

Fabbri couldn’t crack the Blues top 9 and he wasn’t a 4th line type. He wanted a chance to play.

And Doug Armstrong gave him the opportunity by trading him to Detroit. Something similar has happened here.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Yzerman also needed cap space and Drouin (among others) was going to get paid, while Sergachev was on his rookie deal. Pretty elite trade I'd say..

Jakub Vrana trade here.

 

[TK 421]

I wonder if Doug and Steve set up another trade at the draft involving the Blues latest of their three 1st rd picks for two of the Wings 2nd rd picks. Blues are likely to have both later 1sts ending up very close to one another and may find a pair of high 2nds to be preferable to having that 3rd 1st. For instance let's say the Blues target for that 3rd 1st gets taken a couple picks before they're up and their next targets are all available early in the 2nd.

 

[jjniner]

Vrana, at this pace will return quite a lot at the 2024 trade deadline. 35 goal scorer with a 1.25 million dollar cap hit!

 

[Tatar Shots]

I wonder if Doug and Steve set up another trade at the draft involving the Blues latest of their three 1st rd picks for two of the Wings 2nd rd picks. Blues are likely to have both later 1sts ending up very close to one another and may find a pair of high 2nds to be preferable to having that 3rd 1st. For instance let's say the Blues target for that 3rd 1st gets taken a couple picks before they're up and their next targets are all available early in the 2nd.

Why would they ever agree to that months before the draft? Also, value wise that would be quite poor for Detroit. Detroit would have to be really in love with a third player available still in the first round to give up two back to back picks to move up ~12 spots at the end of the first round

 

[BlueTacos]

1st

Vrana, at this pace will return quite a lot at the 2024 trade deadline. 35 goal scorer with a 1.25 million dollar cap hit!

1st rnd pick and nhl almost ready b+ prospect....go army

 

[TK 421]

Why would they ever agree to that months before the draft? Also, value wise that would be quite poor for Detroit. Detroit would have to be really in love with a third player available still in the first round to give up two back to back picks to move up ~12 spots at the end of the first round

They don't agree to execute ahead of time, it would be contingent upon a player expected to be available not being there at the Blues third 1st rd pick. And of course Yzerman would have to want that late 1st so it relies on a lot of unanswered questions.

With Detroit having that trio of 2nds they would be an ideal trade partner for that type of move from a Blues perspective, obviously Yzerman could have zero interest in this type of move and it all may be a moot point.

 

[sxvnert]

I wouldn’t really put Vrana and healthy in a sentence together

9 goals in 13 games says otherwise. Its obvious he had no interest in playing for the wings.

 

[Mike Liut]

9 goals in 13 games says otherwise. Its obvious he had no interest in playing for the wings.

the Blues have a good young core and a few really good prospects on the way. Vrana will fit right in

 

[Hammettf2b]

9 goals in 13 games says otherwise. Its obvious he had no interest in playing for the wings.

It was the opposite actually. The Wings had no interest in him playing for them.

 

[Ezekial]

9 goals in 13 games says otherwise. Its obvious he had no interest in playing for the wings.

He scored 22 goals in 42 games as a Wing.

He also missed 90+ possible games.

 

[Tetsuo]

It's clear that Vrana's time in Detroit went extremely poorly for all involved (for him, Yzerman, his teammates and others besides) so it was best he moved on. The other teams knew that fact and weren't inclined to take him for free, which they had every opportunity to, so Yzerman cut a deal with Armstrong to save money on a buyout (their only on the hook for 50% of his current deal rather than 2/3rds) while also giving Vrana a fresh start.

Vrana's ability to score 5v5 was never in doubt, but off ice he seems to be a headache given how his tenure in Detroit and Washington ended. Hopefully he can keep himself on track going forward, because the League is more fun with him in it.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I like Vrana the player a great deal. We heard similar comments when he came from Washington. It just didn't work out in Detroit. His ability to score goals has never been in question. He was top 3 in 5 on 5 goals per minute when he came from Washington if I remember right. He did it impressively when he was actually on ice during his Red Wings tenure. He was moved for other reasons, the shoulder being far more important to this than the entrance into the Player's Assistance Program from what I have been told. They aren't going to comment on it though and unless Vrana shares it at some point I don't think we will ever fully know. For Vrana's part he seems confused by the whole thing when interviewed so not holding out hope there. Which is just fine, I hope he does well in St. Louis and I don't think we are entitled to more information here. Yzerman was finished with him and I trust that messaging to the team and direction was well thought out.

 

[Stony Curtis]

If this trade is the thing that makes Vrana finally realize he has to get his shit together, Yzerman did him a huge favor. It might have been an unintended consequence of needing to get him the hell away from the team ASAP, but whatever. Hopefully he can use that to his advantage.

I got a DUI 12 years ago. I was so pissed off at everyone but myself. After a while I realized that with the lifestyle I was leading, it was always going to happen. It pretty much had to happen, and it was 100% the best thing for the rest of my life. Took a minute to see it, though.

 

[Tetsuo]

If this trade is the thing that makes Vrana finally realize he has to get his shit together, Yzerman did him a huge favor. It might have been an unintended consequence of needing to get him the hell away from the team ASAP, but whatever. Hopefully he can use that to his advantage.

I got a DUI 12 years ago. I was so pissed off at everyone but myself. After a while I realized that with the lifestyle I was leading, it was always going to happen. It pretty much had to happen, and it was 100% the best thing for the rest of my life. Took a minute to see it, though.

Glad you took it in stride, after a fashion. Just getting a DUI without serious injury to you or someone else is actually a massive lucky break. I work in addiction so I've seen the worst case way too often.

Back to hockey, and this is the last I'll say on this, maybe Vrana needed the wakeup call. Being traded for a pittance, especially a guy of his caliber, could be the cold shower he needs to refocus. He has a tremendous opportunity to provide generational wealth to his family, and how he's conducted himself thus far could rob him of that chance. Hope he figures it out, he's a heck of a player.

 

[SuperScript29]

Vrana had a hot start when he was traded to the Wings as well. Probably best to wait and see if he can do this over a longer period. Regardless, I hope he does well.