CapitalsProspects

Player to Watch: Jakub Vrana

On the first night of the 2016 NHL Draft, the Washington Capitals traded for their third line center, Lars Eller. In the 2014 draft, they may have drafted his winger, 13th overall, Jakub Vrana.

Brian MacLellan has routinely called his shots when obtaining players, he has said that he wants the third line to be a scoring line. Vrana may be a key in that. In addition, with the Eller trade, the Caps gained an additional $3.5 million in salary cap usage, meaning unrestricted free agent Jason Chimera will most likely not be with the Caps next season. This leaves a spot open for Vrana.

Last year, Chandler Stephenson was the surprise standout in camp and was able to earn a spot on the Caps roster. This year, don’t be too surprised if Vrana makes an appearance in Washington. Vrana scored 16 goals in 36 games last season with the Bears. Despite missing most of the season with a wrist injury, Vrana was almost a point per game player. In the playoffs, Vrana’s offensive ability continued to shine as he registered 14 points in 21 games.

Vrana clearly showed how talented of an offensive player he can be. As development camp approaches, Vrana will be a player to watch. The coaching staff will be paying close attention to him, and there’s a good chance he’ll play some games in D.C. this coming season.

Now, let’s watch him in action:

Brandon Alter

Brandon Alter covers all three teams in the Washington Capitals Organization. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in May of 2021.

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