REPORT: Steve Yzerman has one rule and it could be why Jakub Vrana was WAIVED

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Ryan
January 11, 2023 (8:55 PM)

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Last week, the Detroit Red Wings made a shocking move when they put former multiple 20 goal scorer on waivers. Jakub Vrana is a Stanley Cup champion, and is a goal scoring machine at 5on5, and having just completed the NHL Player's Assistance Program, it seemed like Vrana was going to have the opportunity to re-join his teammates on the Wings and show the league what he could do.

Unfortunately after his 3 game conditioning stint, he found himself on waivers and now sits in the AHL.

With multiple players coming back from injury in Robby Fabbri and Tyler Bertuzzi, the wings were going to have to make some tough decisions.

NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman explained the thought process behind this decision on his 32 Thoughts podcast:

I remember a few years ago doing an interview with Steve Yzerman (still a player at the time), talking about opportunities being «deserved." The move was jarring when I first saw it, but the more I thought about it, the more I got it.

Vrana's struggled in his return to the AHL, while some of Detroit's younger players, particularly, Jonatan Berggren, grabbed the NHL opportunity. Head coach Derek Lalonde initially said he wanted to keep his young players in the lineup when Robby Fabbri returned, but the final decision was his GM's. Yzerman's a big believer in playing those who deserve to play. And, when you're trying to build yourself into a winner, you have to stick to that.

Vrana is a highly skilled player and has two years remaining on his current deal at just over $5 million per season. So far in his AHL season, he only has 1 point through 6 games, so if he is wanting to make his way back into the NHL lineup, he is going to have to start getting some pucks in the net!