The Capitals originally drafted Vrana in 2014.
Jakub Vrana is officially back with the Washington Capitals.
The Czech winger was on the ice for Thursday's informal skates at MedStar Capitals Iceplex and in high spirits as he returned to the ice with the club that drafted him 13th overall in 2014.
Vrana signed a professional tryout to join the Capitals at training camp as he prepares for a long road back to the NHL.
The past few seasons haven't been easy for the 28-year-old winger. He was traded from the Capitals to the Detroit Red Wings at the 2021 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for Anthony Mantha, and after a strong start with his new team, he suffered a shoulder injury and also spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
After that, Vrana was waived and sent to the AHL's Grand Rapid Griffins. He was eventually traded to the St. Louis Blues, but he failed to find consistency there, leading to another AHL demotion to the Springfield Thunderbirds.
Returning to the District gives Vrana a chance to show that he still belongs at the highest level and has potential, but he will face stiff competition at training camp for a roster spot.
Washington has an influx of depth up front, with Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane, Brandon Duhaime and Taylor Raddysh all joining the mix this offseason. Not only that, but Hendrix Lapierre is expected to make the full-time jump to the NHL level while Connor McMichael is expected to play on the wing, leading to even less space.
Still, Vrana could earn a two-way deal and work his way back up. It's a low-risk gamble for D.C. on a player that's shown he can make an impact on a nightly basis.
Training camp begins in mid September.
