Jakub Vrana took to Instagram on Thursday to post an emotional goodbye to his former Capitals teammates and fans.
“To everyone that have helped me since day one,” Vrana began. “I have great memories with this team, built great relationships within this city, met great people, had great teammates, played in front of amazing fans and that will always stay in my heart. THANK YOU.”
Jakub Vrana took to the ice for the first time as a member of the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday.
Vrana, a fan favorite in Washington, was dealt on trade deadline day by the Capitals along with Richard Panik and a first- and second-round pick for lorge forward Anthony Mantha.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
The Washington Capitals acquired winger Anthony Mantha in a blockbuster trade deadline deal on Monday.
Mantha will wear number 39. According to Hockey Reference, Mantha is the 12th player in Capitals history to wear number 39 and the second player this season.
The Washington Capitals traded Jakub Vrana on Monday. The deal has not just been a difficult deal for many Capitals fans to process. It’s also been hard for many players.
“He’s a nice person,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said during his press conference.
Despite only being 25, Vrana has been a presence in Washington for nearly a decade. First drafted in 2013, Vrana dazzled during development camps with his stickhandling, put up tantalizing numbers abroad and in the AHL, and eventually became a full-time NHL player in 2017-18. That year, Vrana helped the Capitals win their first-ever Stanley Cup, scoring in the championship-clinching Game Five. His championship tattoos and Instagram Stories from the celebration are the stuff of legend.
Vrana’s optimism, talent, and creativity grabbed our attention. His kindness and friendship with his teammates will make him hard to forget.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
On deadline day, the Washington Capitals handed the Detroit Red Wings a monster haul: Two good draft picks, Richard Panik, and Jakub Vrana all for one player: Anthony Mantha, a 26-year-old right winger who has never scored 50 points in a season.
There’s a lot to unpack in this blockbuster trade. But, to me, in hindsight, it now seems like this was inevitable. This trade had to happen.
By Peter Hassett 2 years ago
Washington Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan made two deals on trade deadline day to try and make the team stronger headed into the postseason. MacLellan made one blockbuster trade, bringing the Red Wings’ Anthony Mantha to Washington in exchange for Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, and two high draft picks. He also acquired Michael Raffl from the Philadelphia Flyers for a fifth-round pick.
But the biggest headline of all was perhaps that the Capitals moved on from Jakub Vrana, a popular player amongst fans and a first-round pick that Craig Laughlin once said was destined for superstardom. Vrana, a member of the team’s 2018 Stanley Cup championship team, scored a career-high 25 goals and 52 points last season. Vrana was second on the Capitals in 5v5 goals (9) this season despite being a healthy scratch for two games and not getting much ice time from Peter Laviolette.
So what went wrong?
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
The Washington Capitals made another last-minute deal at the trade deadline and it’s a blockbuster.
The Caps traded 2018 Stanley Cup champion Jakub Vrana, Richard Panik, and a first and second-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings for star forward Anthony Mantha.
The news was first reported by NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
The Washington Capitals received some thrilling news before puck drop against the Buffalo Sabres. The DC government approved Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s waiver to reopen Capital One Arena for Capitals and Wizards games “effective immediately.” The approval means that Washington’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers will have up to 2,100 fans in the building on Tuesday.
Jakub Vrana and head coach Peter Laviolette responded to the news after the Capitals’ 4-3 victory over the Sabres.
Jakub Vrana will return to the lineup for the first time in two games after Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette punished the Czech forward for his play without the puck. Laviolette said that he wanted a “higher level” and hoped to see Vrana more competitive and play with even more speed.
Tuesday, Vrana spoke to the press for the first time since he was benched by the first-year Capitals coach. Vrana is normally joyful, honest, and fun with the press, but during his presser today, he appeared uncomfortable, joyless, and evasive. He called the situation “disappointing.”
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
Jakub Vrana will return to the ice on Tuesday night against the New York Islanders after being a healthy scratch for two consecutive games against the New Jersey Devils. The Capitals won both times Vrana was out.
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette placed Vrana on the team’s third line along with Lars Eller and Daniel Sprong. Vrana will replace Richard Panik in the lineup.
By Ian Oland 2 years ago
