There have been three games for the St. Louis Blues with Jakub Vrána as a healthy scratch this season. On both occasions, head coach Craig Berube mentioned the idea of needing more from him in every phase of the game. I don’t think the Blues have handled this situation perfectly, especially with their lack of giving Vrána an opportunity to play with a passer like Robert Thomas to maximize his goal-scoring ability.
There is no word of whether Vrána is actually on the trade block or not, but it seems to be heading in the wrong direction. It’s been less than a calendar year since he fell out of favor with the Detroit Red Wings, and the same could be happening in St. Louis. It looks like he will draw back into the lineup for their Sunday afternoon matchup on Nov. 26 against the Chicago Blackhawks, but that doesn’t mean that all is well between him and the coaching staff. I’m not advocating for the Blues to trade him, but here are three destinations that make sense if it comes to this.
Florida Panthers
The first potential destination is the Florida Panthers, who could use a scoring winger to pair with some of their other elite forwards in the top six. They are 12-7-1 on the season for 25 points and second in the Atlantic Division, but they have struggled to produce consistent goal-scoring.
They rank 23rd in the NHL in goals scored overall, which must improve if they want to contend all season in a solid Atlantic Division. Only forward Sam Reinhart has scored double-digit goals for the Panthers this season with 13. They have some elite forwards off to slow starts offensively, so an offensive talent like Vrána could help boost their production. Putting him on a line with Aleksander Barkov or Sam Bennett could go a long way in finding more offense from both Vrána and the Panthers. The Blues wouldn’t get much for him in a trade, but this could be a good move for both sides if he continues to struggle offensively in Berube’s system.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are off to a brutal start this season with a 9-10-0 record, which puts them at sixth in the Metropolitan Division. Not only do they rank outside of the top 15 in goals scored, but they also have key injuries on the wing with Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell sidelined. A player like Vrána could provide instant offense in Pittsburgh if he’s put in the proper position with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin as his center.
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Similar to the Panthers, the Penguins have just one player with double-digit goals, which is Crosby with 13. They would benefit from adding Vrána to their forward group as he could fit somewhere in their top six, especially with the injuries to Rust and Rakell.
Washington Capitals
The final potential destination is Vrána’s former team, the Washington Capitals, who rank 31st in the NHL in goals scored with just 43 goals in 17 games (2.41 goals per game). Despite those numbers, they are in the mix at 10-5-2 on the season. They are currently second in the Metropolitan Division, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes, and behind only the New York Rangers.
Vrána had two 20-goal seasons with the Capitals, where he spent his first four and a half seasons. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2018 and seemed to produce well in his time there. He had 25 points in 39 games for the Capitals before being dealt to the Red Wings in the middle of the 2020-21 season. That same deal sent Anthony Mantha to Washington, where he’s struggled mightily to produce. With Nicklas Backstrom out for the foreseeable future and Mantha not producing, it would make sense for Vrána to fit right back in with the Capitals.
It’s important to note that while Vrána was healthy scratched with the Capitals before being traded to Detroit, that was under then-head coach Peter Laviolette, who is with the Rangers now. Head coaches wanting more out of Vrána in all three zones seems to be a common theme and has twice led him to being traded. All of this is why it wouldn’t surprise me if Blues general manager Doug Armstrong decides to trade him.
I don’t think the Blues should trade him just yet, but it’ll be interesting to see how he responds against the Blackhawks after two straight games in the press box. They need him to produce how he did after the midseason trade last season, but it hasn’t come close to happening yet.
