TrufleShufle
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2012
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Oh I agree 100% that he was never going to get claimed, and people who thought that he might have are out to lunch.
I just didn't get a chance to say it before 2pm today.
Waived: [DET] Red Wings waive F Jakub Vrana (clears)
- Thread starter MMC
- Start date
I just didn't get a chance to say it before 2pm today.
It was common sense before now. Nobody tanking wants to pick up that contract without incentive, and the contenders don't have cap space. And that's without taking into account the program he was just in. It was pretty obvious from the beginning.
If they waived him, they couldn't trade him. If they couldn't trade him, nobody was taking him for free because of the contract. It's either that, or Yzerman knew nobody would claim him. Pretty much no doubt one of those two scenarios is true, and neither involve a claim.
bleedgreen
Registered User
He goes to the minors and gets healthy with no timetable rushing him, which was clearly the plan. Good for him and for the team.
ThatGuy22
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- Oct 11, 2011
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Only team that really made any sense would have been Minnesota. Widely reported that they're in the market for a top 6 forward to pair with Boldy, in a pretty safe playoff position, and have the cap room to take him without making a different move (2nd year gets a little tight, but could make it work).
Eh, there is still risk involved in taking on a contract with term though, if there is a concern that a claim might be harmful to the player's state of mind on his recovery journey. The rational voice in my head is pointing out how few teams have cap space and that had a factor in it. The optimist in me could get behind people trying not to mess with Vrana's recovery and conditioning stint.
Foppberg
Registered User
Surprised there were so many. 5.2M cap hit isn't easy to swallow, not to mention the situation that he's dealing with right now.
As you said, adding Vrana would have painted them into a corner with the cap next offseason with Boldy being RFA.
I'm also reminded of a podcast that Bill Guerin did last year where he mentioned that he got really out of shape (I think it was alcohol related) during the lockout and it had an adverse effect (physically/mentally) on his play when the league resumed. That led to him getting bought out by Dallas. Guerin worked himself back into the shape the following season. I wonder if Guerin the GM would be wary of bringing in somebody similar to 2005 Guerin?
biturbo19
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- Jul 13, 2010
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Wow. Okay. Things are obviously not great in the land of Vrana.
Have to think he's basically a Drouin at this point, but with more actual goal-scoring ability. Something really off about the whole situation. Even with his contract being a significant commitment...you'd think there'd be someone willing to gamble on him. Unless it's real bad.
This is where the "secretive" culture of hockey is probably a positive for the actually affected players...but it certainly breeds a brand of distrust when it comes to everything else. Because there's clearly a lot more going on here than is being made available to fans to understand.
Have to think he's basically a Drouin at this point, but with more actual goal-scoring ability. Something really off about the whole situation. Even with his contract being a significant commitment...you'd think there'd be someone willing to gamble on him. Unless it's real bad.
This is where the "secretive" culture of hockey is probably a positive for the actually affected players...but it certainly breeds a brand of distrust when it comes to everything else. Because there's clearly a lot more going on here than is being made available to fans to understand.
Bruce Granville
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- Oct 11, 2014
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The cap is not the issue.
He never played for the Penguins.
itwasaforwardpass
I'll be the hyena
- Mar 4, 2017
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Vrana is not a middle six winger. He's been one of the best even strength goal scorers in the league. Passing through waivers has nothing to do with his ability and he's actually very underpaid for what he brings on the ice. There is something off the ice going on that we aren't privy to but every team apparently is. I don't think we are obligated to know about his private issues between he and his team, although the potential GM silent agreement (collusion) always bothers me.
- Jul 28, 2011
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This isn't a "we want to extend his conditioning in the AHL". Wings are 10 points back from a wild card spot. This isn't a goalie that you can't just throw in, or a player that's going to hurt your division standing. You don't place a player like Vrana on waivers just to get more conditioning time when you have the luxury of allowing him to gain the conditioning in the NHL at your own pace. He's only played 39 games since the start of the 2020-2021 season. That's a lot of time missed and I'm sure other GM's had their own questions for Yzerman.
I haven't been following his Instagram but it's a little odd that the last hockey related post involves Capitals. Hope the player is healthy and in a good place.
I haven't been following his Instagram but it's a little odd that the last hockey related post involves Capitals. Hope the player is healthy and in a good place.
If he does have substance abuse problems, then he needs to be taking care of that. Hockey, at this point, is secondary. I wish him the best.
What is very obvious is that his off ice issues makes him without value league wide. Some Detroit fan said he’s got a lot of value. That’s an absurd take given the waiver passage.
His value is zero to anyone at this time.
McGarnagle
Yes.
- Aug 5, 2017
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It sounds like it's understood around the league that he's in no place to play hockey any time in the conceivable future.
On talent alone if there were even a possibility of his return you'd think someone near the cap floor would've taken a gamble on him.
On talent alone if there were even a possibility of his return you'd think someone near the cap floor would've taken a gamble on him.
Some Wild management intern complements Bill Guerin on his knowledge of buyouts: "Gee GM Guerin, you really know the ins/outs of buyouts!"
Not to say Vrana has a specific amount of value right now, but only 4 teams in the league had the space to just grab him without a move. That's not to say someone could want to swap money for him. You can't say he has 0 value due to the fact that he cleared, when most teams don't have that kind of cap space and it's not something you just conjure.
Anaheim's GM has a relationship with the Wings, Hawks are mid tank, Buffalo probably doesn't want to add 5.25 cap to next year, and Arizona doesn't want to pick up random salary and is tanking.
Zonk
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2012
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I am hoping that someone will know the answer to this. (@mouser? @uncleben?)
If a team trades for Vrana, they can now assign him to their AHL team because he has cleared waivers. Hypothetically, if Detroit retained 50% of the salary, ($2,625,000), if the team that acquires Vrana keeps him in the AHL what is their cap hit? Do they get the full $1,125,000 of cap relief or is this split with Detroit?
If a team trades for Vrana, they can now assign him to their AHL team because he has cleared waivers. Hypothetically, if Detroit retained 50% of the salary, ($2,625,000), if the team that acquires Vrana keeps him in the AHL what is their cap hit? Do they get the full $1,125,000 of cap relief or is this split with Detroit?
Hope he recovers
Huh? He’s scored 22G in 39 games for the Wings? How is that a middle 6 W?
You think Vrana is a 1st line player? On a really bad team maybe.
I wouldn't want him matching up against another team's first line every night
He’s top 6 player very easily (when healthy).You think Vrana is a 1st line player? On a really bad team maybe.
I wouldn't want him matching up against another team's first line every night
When he had 19 points in 26 games it was playing 15 mins a night. Vrana historically feasts on 2nd/3rd line matchups.
Since then he's missed like 80 games.
He was 6th in our forwards for 5v5 ice time. That’s top 6.
When he had 8G/11pts in 11ganes for us the year prior he had over 17mins.
He’s again, top 6.
6th is also middle 6?
4,5,6,7,8,9
He's a defensive nightmare in first line matchups. But, go ahead and call him a top 6 player because he was 6th in even strength ice time on the 21-22 Detroit Red Wings.
Where was he the year prior as well? When you’re never lower than 6, you’re top 6 my guy.
