The downward spiral of the hockey career of former Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana hasn’t been a fall from grace as much as it’s been a plummet.
“It has been a tough period for me with some setbacks,” Vrana told Swedish website Expressen.
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In less than three years, Vrana has gone from a top-scoring forward for the Red Wings to a guy who can’t find the back of the net for SHL club Linköping. He finally scored his first goal of the season on the weekend in his 11th game, and admitted to exhaling a sigh of relief.
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“I know that part of my role is to produce offensively, but it hasn’t really come off for me,” Vrana said. “That’s why it was incredibly nice to finally get to put one in.”
Vrana’s Star Quickly Faded With Red Wings
At the 2021 NHL trade deadline, the Red Wings acquired Vrana from the Washington Capitals in a multi-player deal. Anthony Mantha was the key piece going the other way.
Detroit was getting a two-time 20-goal scorer and a Stanley Cup champion. When Vrana scored 21 times in his first 37 games with the Red Wings, the deal looked like a steal.
And just like that, the rug was pulled out from under this optimism. Shoulder surgery cost Vrana most of the 2021-22 season.
Early into the 2022-23 campaign, he entered rehab due to substance-abuse issues.
Vrana would score just one more goal in a Red Wings uniform.
Since leaving Detroit, Vrana, 30, has played in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, and a second tour with the Capitals. There were also AHL stints with the Grand Rapids Griffins and Springfield Thunderbirds before he landed back with Linköping.
That’s where he was playing before coming to the NHL.
Many characters have been typed out on keyboards addressing Vrana’s issues. He seeks to stay clear of reading up on his escapades.
“I actually try to avoid it as much as possible,” Vrana said. “What is said is not always positive.
Rather, it is more often negative than positive.
“That’s why I try to shut it out and focus on things that I can influence and control. I can’t control what other people say.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I respect that.”
To his credit, he also recognizes that he’s the only person capable of rectifying the situation.
“When I don’t live up to my own expectations, as an athlete I have to understand that I just have to keep working and believe in what I’m doing,” Vrana said. “Hopefully it will turn around.
“There’s no one out there who’s going to save you. No one’s going to give you anything for free.
“It’s been that way my whole life. I’ve always had to work hard for everything I’ve accomplished.
It’s the same thing now.”
By Bob Duff
Bob Duff has worked in the sports media industry since 1984 and covered the Red Wings since 1988. As.
