The Washington Capitals placed forward Jakub Vrana on waivers Wednesday afternoon.
Vrana will be free to be claimed by any team over the next 24 hours. If he’s not, he can be sent to the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
The news was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
Washington says the move was made to increase cap flexibility for the remainder of the season. The NHL’s 2025 trade deadline is two days away at 3 pm on March 7. The Capitals are rumored to have interest in adding another forward and had a full 23-man roster until waiving Vrana.
Per PuckPedia, with Vrana in the minors, Washington would have $4.425 million in deadline cap space.
The Capitals may also need a roster spot to activate Sonny Milano from long-term injured reserve. The 28-year-old winger recently shed his no-contact sweater and has been practicing with the team.
Vrana has been productive in his 26 games with the Capitals this season, recording 11 points (7g, 4a). Over a full 82-game schedule producing at that rate, he’d be slated for 35 points (22g, 13a).
The Capitals initially brought the 29-year-old Czech into training camp on a professional tryout basis. Vrana impressed enough in four preseason games to earn a one-year, $775k contract. He is set for unrestricted free agency in the summer.
