UPDATE: St. Louis Forward Jakub Vrana has cleared waivers and will now be assigned to the Blues AHL affiliate Springfield Thunderbirds, according to The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford.
ORIGINAL STORY: ST. LOUIS (KMOX) -Forward Jakub Vrana's tumultuous time with the Blues might have come to an end.
On Tuesday, Vrana was officially placed on waivers, according to NHL insider Chris Johnston.
The Athletic's Jeremy Rutherford was first to report Vrana was going be placed on waivers Monday.
Vrana's placement on waivers could lead him to his third team in two seasons if claimed.
Vrana was acquired by the Blues on March 13, 2023 from the Detroit Red Wings in exchanged for a 2025 seventh rounder and forward Dylan McLaughlin.
Vrana had a tumultuous time with the Red Wings, from dealing with injuries and being placed in the NHL's Player's Assistance Program. Before his trade to the Blues, Vrana was placed on waivers by the Red Wings in January 2023 with intent to demote him to the team's AHL affiliate Grand Rapids Griffins. Vrana issue's limited him to playing only 42 games for the Red Wings in a three-year span.
When he was traded to the Blues, like his start with the Red Wings, he showed his talent after being acquired, amassing 14 points in 20 games last season, including scoring 10 goals.
However, Vrana was not able to carry that momentum into the season, with the Czech only collecting six points in 19 games while averaging just over 12 minutes on ice.
Vrana, most notably, has seen questions about his work ethic, being scratched multiple times this season. During Saturday's loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, he was only on the ice for just under nine minutes, including being on it for two goals against in the opening frame of the game.
Because the Red Wings are still retaining half of Vrana's cap hit this season, he only has a cap hit of about $2.85 million left on him before he becomes a unrestricted free agent after the season.
