Jakub Vrana’s post-trade transition to the Detroit Red Wings went better than anyone could have expected, fueling more optimism of what the future holds for this highly skilled player just entering the prime of his career.
Vrana had a goal and an assist in Saturday’s season-ending 5-4 overtime loss at Columbus.
He had 11 points, including eight goals, in 11 games with the Red Wings, after being acquired from the Washington Capitals on April 12, along with Richard Panik and first- and second-round picks, for Anthony Mantha. Overall, Vrana finished with 19 goals and 36 points in 50 games.
“I knew he was a good player. He’s more skilled than I realized,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “He’s got legit ability to score. He’s got a great stick. Now it’s just a matter of becoming that compete player and I learned he wants to be that.”
There was friction in Washington between Vrana and coach Peter Laviolette, which general manager Brian MacLellan acknowledged after trading the 25-year-old winger.
Blashill, however, said Vrana has been “very receptive to coaching.”
“The one thing I learned is he cares, and he wants to be better,” Blashill said. “We’ve had a number of meetings and gone over some things and he’s done a really good job of being receptive and truly wanting feedback.
“Him and I talked that it’s one thing to be a complementary player on a team with a whole bunch of skilled players, it’s another thing to be a driver. I’d love to see him become a driver and be a guy who can really be a go-to guy. To do that you have to have a complete game and he understands that and is working at it.”
Blashill cited “two unreal back-checks” Vrana had on Saturday.
“That’s the work ethic of somebody who wants to become that complete player and hopefully complete winner you need,” Blashill said. “That’s not to say that he’s not without mistake. He’s going to continue to grow in those areas. But to me it shows what his care level is. He recognizes what he needs to improve at and if he does that, he’s going to end up being the type of player you can win with.”
Vrana is a restricted free agent who general manager Steve Yzerman likely will lock up to a long-term contract. He’s put up similar statistics the past three seasons as Mantha, who was signed a four-year, $22.8 million contract before the season.
After finishing second-to-last in the NHL in goals in per game (2.23), the Red Wings will rely heavily on Vrana’s offense moving forward.
“He’s got high-end skill, that’s obvious,” Danny DeKeyser said. “When he gets the puck in the offensive zone, he creates chances. He’s one of those guys where he gets a Grade A scoring chance, a breakaway, he buries those more often than not. It’s definitely the type of player we can use here, a guy who finishes and just has that offensive mentality where he wants to put pucks in the back of the net.”
More: Factors Steve Yzerman will consider in deciding whether to bring back Jeff Blashill
The Link LonkMay 09, 2021 at 05:08PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/05/jakub-vranas-scoring-surge-fuels-red-wings-optimism.html
Jakub Vrana’s scoring surge fuels Red Wings’ optimism - MLive.com
https://news.google.com/search?q=Red&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
No comments:
Post a Comment