Jakub Vrana, who was recently acquired by the St. Louis Blues, has been vocal about how he was treated by the Detroit Red Wings. According to Vrana, he was not given a fair chance by the organization and was not provided with a reasonable opportunity after returning from the Substance Abuse Program. Detroit eventually ran out of patience with him and traded him to the Blues at this year's deadline. In order to facilitate the move, Detroit retained half of Vrana's salary.
I came back and felt like a new person. It was totally different. It's just that it was a little frustrating to me. expected a little bit more trust and a little bit more chance to kind of put the pieces together again. That didn't work.
I still think I did the right thing (in seeking help). Some people didn't like that and they didn't accept it .. Now it's a new opportunity. I cannot be happier to join.
Since joining the Blues, Vrana has thrived and already has five goals and one assist in just nine games. Some may question whether Detroit gave up on him too soon, but it's worth noting that his work ethic was called into question on several occasions prior to the trade. Regardless, it's great to see Vrana return to form and performing well in the NHL after battling alcoholism. It's time for both parties to move on from the situation.
