With the New York Rangers missing key forwards due to injury, their forward depth has been hit hard so far this season. The lack of depth on the right wing is a glaring issue and one that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. One player who has recently become available is Jakub Vrána from the St.Louis Blues. He was supposed to be on waivers today, Dec. 11, 2023, but it did not happen, and it seems his departure from the Blues is coming soon. With the Rangers lacking depth on the right-wing, Vrána would be a perfect fit for the team as they could use a player with scoring upside and a player who has some speed to their game.
Vrána’s Career So Far
Vrána was drafted by the Washington Capitals 13th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft. He didn’t play for the Capitals until 2016-17, where he played in 21 games and had six points. He became a regular in their lineup the following season and had the best seasons of his career with the Capitals. He scored 24 and 25 goals in back-to-back seasons and scored his career-high 52 points during the 2019-20 season, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The following season, after scoring 25 points in 39 games, Vrána was traded at the 2021 trade deadline to the Detroit Red Wings in a deal that sent Anthony Mantha to the Capitals. Following the trade, Vrána had a great showing, scoring eight goals and 11 points in 11 games. But after this season, he hasn’t bee able to get back to the player he was.
Vrána played only 26 games the following season and in his final five games with the Red Wings during the 2022-23 season before getting traded to the Blues. After going through the NHL’s Player Assistance Program, he still couldn’t find his game with the Red Wings and was traded to the Blues, with the Red Wings retaining half of his $5.250 million cap hit. He scored 10 goals and 14 points in 20 games with the Blues, and it looked like he found his game, but so far this season, he hasn’t been the same, totaling only six points in 19 games. Now, it seems the Blues are ready to move on from him and will likely do it as soon as possible.
Vrána’s Fit With the Rangers
If the Rangers want a short-term solution to address their forward depth and depth on the right wing, Vrána would be the perfect fit. The Blues would have to retain 50 percent of his deal so the Rangers could fit him in, but it wouldn’t cost the Rangers much to acquire him. If they trade for him, they get a player who can play in the top-six or top-nine while Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko recover from their injuries. They also get a player who has more game left in him than Blake Wheeler does, as Wheeler has struggled to generate much offense this season. Vrána is a player who has scored over 20 goals in the past, and if he gets the chance to play with some of the Ranger’s top players, he could find his scoring touch again.
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If Vrána plays well and the Rangers get back those players from injury, it makes the team deeper and better than before. That would mean having to move another player like Wheeler out, but that shouldn’t cost much to do. If Vrána struggles and the players come back from injury and take his spot, the Rangers could move him in another trade or put him on waivers. There is no harm in trying when the player won’t cost much to trade for and when he is better than some players on the team right now.
Vrána Worth the Risk
Vrána is 27 years old and has proven that he can score goals in the NHL. While he hasn’t been that player in a few years, all it takes is for him to find the right team and the right linemates, and he could easily get back to being the player he was before. The Rangers are a team who have those players and who could fit them into their lineup without causing many issues. They should look into acquiring Vrána to see if he can help the team in the short term.
