Having had a difficult season on several levels, Detroit Red Wings forward Jakub Vrana will have the opportunity to revive himself with the St. Louis Blues, who acquired him by trade on Friday.
The Wings will keep half of the Czech’s $5.25 million salary, who has another year left on his contract. The Michigan squad also landed center Dylan McLaughlin and a seventh-round pick in the 2025 draft.
Early in the campaign, Vrana opted to join the National Hockey League’s aid program. The 25-year-old skater thus went through the waivers, not being claimed. He had to recover from a serious shoulder injury which forced him to 26 games in 2021-2022.
The former Stanley Cup winner with the Washington Capitals had two points in five games with the Wings this season. In the American League, with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he had 11 points in 17 games.
In career, Vrana has 189 points in 326 duels. He had moved to the Wings in the trade sending Anthony Mantha to the American capital.
The Penguins start the ball rolling
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Nick Bonino
The Pittsburgh Penguins completed a trade early Friday by acquiring forward Nick Bonino from the San Jose Sharks.
Details of the trade are still unknown, according to Sportsnet reporter Elliotte Friedman.
It’s a return to Pittsburgh for Bonino, who played for the Penguins for two seasons between 2015 and 2017.
In 59 games this season, the forward has scored 19 points, including 10 goals.
Vladislav Namestnikov traded again
File photo, Getty Images via AFP
Vladislav Namestnikov
For the second time in three days, striker Vladislav Namestnikov has changed address. The one who wore the Tampa Bay Lightning uniform this season was traded to the San Jose Sharks against Michael Eyssimont on Wednesday.
This time, it was the Winnipeg Jets who acquired him for a fourth-round draft pick in 2025.
The 30-year-old Russian has amassed 15 points in 57 games this season. He has 610 National League games experience, for a total of 251 points.
Other exchanges
For the New Jersey Devils, general manager Tom Fitzgerald has secured Vancouver Canucks forward Curtis Lazar. The latter, a first-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2013 draft, has three goals and two assists in 45 games this season.
In return, the British Columbia squad received a fourth-round selection in 2024.
In Los Angeles, the Kings traded forward Brendan Lemieux and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for center Zack McEwen.
He has amassed nine points in 46 games since the start of the campaign. Lemieux, a 26-year-old right winger, is known for his belligerent attitude on the ice. He has three assists and 53 penalty minutes in 27 outings this year. The son of former hockey player Claude Lemieux has spent 463 minutes in jail in his career.