Jakub Vrana will be back in the lineup when his Detroit Red Wings visit his former team, the Washington Capitals, Tuesday night.
It will be Vrana's first NHL action since October, when he entered the NHL and NHLPA’s player assistance program. Vrana resumed hockey activities in late December, first with a conditioning stint with AHL Grand Rapids and then for a longer period after he cleared waivers in early January.
Vrana rejoined the Red Wings for their West Coast road trip last week — after Lucas Raymond was placed on injured reserve — but didn't appear in a game. Filip Zadina will be a healthy scratch to make room for Vrana in the lineup.
"It’s been some time, so I am really excited," Vrana said Monday, according to the Detroit Free Press. "I’ve been training a lot, so it’s going to be nice at some point to get the game going and get that game feel. I'm excited to go in."
Tuesday's game will be Vrana's first against the team he won a Stanley Cup with. The Red Wings acquired the scoring winger in a buzzer-beater trade deadline blockbuster in 2021, but he has appeared in only 39 games with Detroit since due to shoulder surgery last season and his private matter this season.
Vrana has 22 goals and 32 points since the trade to the Red Wings, including a goal and an assist in two games this season. He added six goals and 11 points in 17 AHL games.
Fans in Canada can watch the Red Wings take on the Capitals in a pivotal Eastern Conference playoff matchup on Sportsnet and SN NOW, beginning at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
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