The Detroit Red Wings acquired a 7th-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and center Dylan McLaughlin from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for left wing Jakub Vrana on Friday. This is St. Louis taking a flier on Vrana, who has missed much of the season because he put himself in the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. He recently returned to the league but the Red Wings wanted to move on and the Blues are hoping he can become an impact player again. The Blues are retooling on the fly and this is a small price to pay to see if he can be a 20-goal scorer again.
He has played in three games since (Feb. 21, 23 and 28) and has no points. He has one year left on a three-year contract.
Vrana has 33 goals in his last 81 NHL games over the past three seasons. If he can get his life and game back on track, he’s one of the best scorers per 60 minutes the league has seen in the past few seasons. As Frank Seravalli wrote on his Daily Faceoff trade bait board, “He is a gifted goal scorer, fourth in the league in goals-per-60 minutes at even-strength over the last four seasons.”
The issue for Detroit is that they didn’t see him as a consistent competitor, particularly in practice. If the Red Wings hadn’t traded him, they likely would have bought him out in the summer. GM Steve Yzerman chose to retain 50% of the contract to help facilitate the deal. Varana had a $5.25 million salary.
Blues Could Use Vrana’s Skill Set
Shayna Goldman of The Athletic writes, “Nothing has been smooth about Vrana’s time in Detroit, but he has a skill the Blues could use: his excellent shot. St. Louis thrived last year because of its passing ability, but it needs high-end shooters to finish those chances.” She adds, “Now without Vladimir Tarasenko and David Perron, Vrana filling that gap would be intriguing. He’s probably a fit for the middle six, with a chance to move up, as long as the Blues can find a way to support some of the defensive lapses in his game.”
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