Washington Capitals sign Jakub Vrana to one-year, $775,000 contract

The Washington Capitals have signed Jakub Vrana to a one-year, $775,000 contract. The contract is a one-way deal.

Vrana was in training camp on a player tryout agreement (PTO).

Vrana split the 2023-24 season with the St. Louis Blues and their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate the Springfield Thunderbirds. While in the AHL, Vrana registered 16 goals and 20 assists for 36 points in 42 games. He appeared in 21 NHL games, tallying two goals and six points.

The 28-year-old was originally selected No. 13 overall by the Capitals in the 2014 NHL Draft. He had a solid rookie year campaign in the AHL with the Hershey Bears posting 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points in 36 games, and adding an additional 14 points in 21 playoff contests.

Vrana’s consistent performance over the first couple of seasons in the AHL led to a full-time promotion to the Capitals during the 2017-18 season. That season, Vrana notched 12 goals and 27 points in 73 games and eight points in 21 playoff contests during the Capitals’ run to the Stanley Cup.

The Praha, Czechia native was dealt from the Capitals to the Red Wings at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for Anthony Mantha. An early season injury kept him out for most of the 2021-22 campaign, and when he returned the following season, something seemed off about Vrana. He eventually was entered into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Vrana was dealt to St. Louis in March 2023.

Throughout his NHL career, Vrana has notched 110 goals and 99 assists for 209 points in 367 games. With the Capitals, he played in 284 games, scoring 76 goals and 81 assists. Vrana also notched eight points in 38 Stanley Cup Playoff games with Washington.