Jakub Vrana spent most of the 2016-17 campaign yo-yoing between Washington and AHL Hershey.
This season, after several Capitals veterans departed via free agency, Vrana locked down a roster spot and has spent most of the year in the team’s top six.
And he’s performing very well when compared to his peers.
Via a very good graphic by NBC Sports Washington on 12/16
Through 33 games this season, the 21-year-old Vrana has ten goals, tying him for fourth most among all 93 NHL rookies. He has more goals than 2017 first-overall pick Nico Hischier (5). Vrana has accounted for roughly 10 percent of all the Capitals goals this season.
The other rookie forwards with double digit goals or more include: Brock Boeser (17), Alex DeBrincat (12), Clayton Keller (12), Adrian Kempe (11), Kyle Connor (10), Jesper Bratt (10), and Yanni Gourde (10). Everyone except Bratt (sixth-round 2016) and the undrafted Gourde were first-round picks drafted between 2014 and 2016.
Vrana is also tied for 15th in rookie points (15) and fifth in shots on goal (70).
Many assumed Brock Boeser, the dynamite Canucks forward, would run away with the goal-scoring lead and perhaps the Calder Trophy after averaging nearly a point per game (30 pts in 31 games). But on Sunday, Boeser took a shot off his left foot against the Calgary Flames. Boeser could not put any weight on his foot and had to crawl back to the team’s bench.
After X-rays and CT scans, the Canucks announced Boeser was cleared of a fracture, but his timetable to return is unknown.
Boeser update: fracture ruled out after further evaluation. Timeline on return to play to be provided at a later date. pic.twitter.com/tQFwb7pAOT
— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 18, 2017
While Vrana is a highly-productive forward for the Capitals, Boeser’s 17 goals account for 19 percent of all of Vancouver’s goals this season.
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