from Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic,
Vrana, 27, was the No. 13 pick in the 2014 draft for Washington and won the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018. He’s a skilled player with a good shot and has netted 98 goals and 189 points in 326 NHL games. But after being traded to Detroit in 2021, he’s played in just 42 games over the past three seasons, missing 60 games two seasons ago after shoulder surgery and two months this season while in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
“It was a good add for us,” Armstrong said. “He got traded to Detroit and had some off-ice issues that he’s not running from and we’re not running from. He’s looking forward to a fresh start to his career, and we’re looking forward to giving him that.”...
Armstrong said the Blues did their due diligence on Vrana and saw no reason not to give him another opportunity. The club sent a seventh-round pick in 2025 and 27-year-old forward Dylan McLaughlin to the Wings in the exchange.
“We did our research and you understand the risks, but there’s probably a lot of players that have those risks we don’t even know have them,” Armstrong said. “I don’t want to get too much into it because I don’t know the exact things, but I’m a big believer in second chances.
“We don’t want to make the same (mistakes) twice, but we’re here to help these guys get along.”
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