Jakub Vrana on Waivers, Should Penguins Take a Look?

Jakub Vrana, a former winger with the Washington Capitals, is currently available. The left-handed pitcher was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, which was one day later than was anticipated. Teams now have until Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. to evaluate whether or not he is worth another chance.

Have the Pittsburgh Penguins considered taking a look at it?

In spite of the fact that they have a goal difference of -12, the Blues are now one point away from a wild-card place in the Western Conference. In the absence of Vrana, the Blues’ top-nine left wings are filled by Jake Neighbors, Brandon Saad, and Kevin Hayes. This is because Vrana’s absence is connected to a lack of production.

On the eve of the 2021-22 National Hockey League season, Vrana underwent severe shoulder surgery, and as a result, he only participated in 26 games with the Detroit Red Wings. Following his participation in the player treatment program and subsequent trade to St. Louis, where he played twenty games, he played only five more games during the previous season.

Jakub Vrana on Waivers, Should Penguins Take a Look (3)
Jakub Vrana on Waivers, Should Penguins Take a Look?

During the current season, Vrana has participated in 19 games, accumulated six points (2-4-6), and has a rating of minus five. Additionally, his advanced analytics are at their lowest points in his career. He is in the range of 41-42% when it comes to Corsi, scoring opportunities, and predicted goals respectively.

“No” is the response that comes from this keyboard. The Penguins have a sufficient number of players that are having difficulty. To what extent does Jansen Harkins outperform Radim Zohorna? Although it is highly unlikely, neither of those players is a constraint on the cap situation for the Penguins.The greatest impact on Vrana is the $2.62 million cap hit (Detroit is eating up fifty percent of his year average salary of $5.2 million).

There is every indication that this is a seductive but fruitless idea, despite the fact that Bryan Rust is wounded and will be out for at least a week, and Rickard Rakell is still in the process of recovering from his injury.The first thing to note is that Vrana’s stats have been decreasing ever since he came back from surgery.

Due to the fact that Rickard Rakell will soon be back in the top six for the Penguins lines, Drew O’Connor will be moving back to the third line. Only the best version of Vrana would be allowed to play in the top six for the Penguins, which would ultimately result in him being pushed to the third line, which is more focused on defense.
To add insult to injury, the Penguins will be unable to afford Rust once he returns to the lineup.

Jakub Vrana on Waivers, Should Penguins Take a Look (2)
Jakub Vrana on Waivers, Should Penguins Take a Look?

This would only make sense if Rust or a player with a salary that is comparable to his would be out for the entire season. Nevertheless, even in the most extreme of circumstances, the financial hit that Vrana would incur would significantly hinder the ability of Kyle Dubas, the president of hockey operations and general manager, to acquire the needed talent before the NHL trade deadline.

Jakub Vrana

It is true that there is always the possibility of a turnaround similar to that of Kasperi Kapanen. Last year, the St. Louis Blues acquired Kapanen from the Pittsburgh Penguins, and he has shown to be an excellent addition to the team.It is unfortunate that Vrana, a sniper who stands 6 feet tall and weighs 190 pounds, has not sniped in a few years. The most significant obstacle is the salary, but the more significant problem is that the Blues found themselves in need of a player like him and yet went forward with this transfer

P.O. Joseph “
On their blue line, the Penguins might be experiencing a predicament that is comparable to this one. Against the Arizona Coyotes on Tuesday, it appears that P.O. Joseph might be able to make his way back into the lineup. He is going to be accessible. At this point in time, the Penguins have seven defenseman in the National Hockey League. On the other hand, Chad Ruhwedel is also expected to return in the near future, which would provide the Penguins with an additional eighth defenseman.

Who is going to leave?

Joseph, who has experienced a lot of difficulties throughout the course of this season, has a lot riding on how well he performs against the Coyotes. The most recent game he participated in was a 10-2 thrashing of the San Jose Sharks played on November 4th. On November 18, he was scheduled to return to the field, but he did not feel well enough to be of assistance to the squad.

 

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