Jakub Vrana had a breakout season in 2017-18  …when he was given the chance.

By The Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows various metrics for the player over the course of the season. A short description of each chart:

Peter’s Take

Jakub Vrana did not get injured in 2017-18, so if you’re looking to figure out why he played just 73 games, look elsewhere. There was something about Vrana’s play that former coach Barry Trotz did not like (e.g. “participation mode”), resulting in nine scratches in the regular season and one more in the playoffs.

A disclaimer: hockey players play too much. The season is too long, and rest is too rare. Coaches should use scratches more liberally to give players time to reset. But this is not that. Even when Vrana did get a jersey, he played a fourth-line volume of ice time – minutes below what similar players (Eller, Burakovsky) got. Basically: Trotz didn’t like Vrana’s game.

I can see why.

Just kidding, no, I can’t. Vrana is a special player. No Caps forward made a higher rate of chances from high-danger areas than Vrana, including Ovi. Vrana’s scoring chance rate was second only to Ovi. His overall attempt volume was third behind Ovi and Eller (and went up to second in the playoffs). He had the fifth highest goal rate despite having the 10th best shooting percentage.

Here, per hockeyviz, are where Vrana’s shot attempts came from, i.e. the goal mouth.

And here is how the Caps’ overall shot attempts compared to league average during Vrana’s shifts.

That’s excellent.

Two times that Trotz gave Vrana a chance — late November and in the playoffs –- Vrana raged, maybe saving his coach’s job (and future job) in the process. What new coach Todd Reirden sees in Vrana and how he will accommodate that vision is an open question. There’s a bit of a blockade in the top six right now, but when a player produces like a top-six forward despite bottom-line minutes, a team oughtta make space.

Jake on RMNB

• There’s gonna be a lot of jokes-tier highlights, but lemme start with this: Vrana did not enjoy the smelling salts.

• I have watched this move dozens of times and I’m still surprised by it.

• Scratch, November 16: Vrana is in “participation mode“
• Returned, Vrana recorded a two-goal game on November 22, basically saving Barry Trotz’s job in the process. He scored again in the next game; look at this speed.

• More highlight-reel goals came in December as the Caps climbed to the top of the Metro.
• Scratch, January 31: “His game has fallen off the last little while.”
• Trotz reactivated Vrana early in February, calling the scratch “a pretty good learning moment.”
• Scratch, February 13: More learning needed.
• Scratch, February 24: People have stopped asking why this keeps happening.
• Somehow, Vrana got a jersey for the outdoor game on March 3. He did this to Freddie Andersen:

• Mid-air swat for a goal. Vrana was on fire in early March.

• Once the playoffs came, Vrana was a penalty drawing machine, so naturally Trotz dropped him to the fourth line.
• In game two against Pittsburgh, Vrana teamed up with Eller to score his first career playoff goal.

• And then, in the last and best game of the season, it was oft-scratched Vrana who opened up scoring for the Caps.

• Parting comment: It’s apparently pronounced Yakub?

Your Turn

How does the team navigate its top-six winger blockade in order to activate Vrana? What players would you most like to see Vrana play with? What about Vrana’s game makes him so effective despite limited opportunities?

Read more: Japers’ Rink

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk