hard to see WSH moving him. The scratch could be all kinds of things, not meaning a trade.
but either way, losing him is no good for WSH, as I doubt they get fair value back.

Completely agree. Just think if they are going to move him, the teams that would need his consistent even strength goal scoring most are Chicago and Boston, and at least Chicago's not in the same division.

eta: I think an ideal return might be Point or Eichel, even if WSH has to add a 1st, and then pay a few 2nds elsewhere to dump cap, but I'm curious what Chicago fans would offer.

You think Vrana can land Eichel or Point w/ a 1st and maybe a few 2nds?

The answer is not as much as you'd think. Don't get me wrong. Vrana is a nice piece, IMO not a great piece. The Hawks need to stay focused on their current track which is develop your picks and prospects...sign UFAs. They can get a Vrana as a UFA without losing assets. Thats the direction they should go for.

I would be interested in him if he could play right wing, but can he?

Probably. I've seen it happen for a few shifts to have him set up Ovechkin before Wilson got that gig full time and Trotz settled on Vrana as a secondary goal scorer. He looked comfortable but I doubt it happened enough to find stats on his defense. I've often said they should try Vrana at center, but Oshie is better at faceoffs and Panik's a better checker, so even with some injuries/protocol, that hasn't happened this year. But don't most left-shot European wings spend a lot of time on the right, growing up?

I’m not really sure about that last part, I’m sure that like most NHL teams Chicago would be interested depending on the cost. I know Bowman balked on the price of a first for Kapanen last year, so I don’t know if he would be willing to move a similar numbered pick for JV this year. If WSH is looking for a forward prospect in return, our pipeline is bare, and I think that makes us not great trade partners.

Makes sense. Got any RHD or goalie prospects? WSH had goalie prospect depth but with Vanecek breaking out right before expansion, that's off.

Going back to the 2018 offseason, right after the Caps won the Cup, Vrana is tied for 13th in even strength goals with Scheifele and Pastrnak. Eichel is tied for 37th in that span, after the Sabres fell apart this year. Point and DeBrinkat are tied for 25th. So.... while you're right that neither is available to be traded for a similar player, your idea that the Hawks can sign a Vrana as a UFA is ambitious.

http://www.nhl.com/stats/skaters?reportType=season&seasonFrom=20182019&seasonTo=20202021&gameType=2&filter=gamesPlayed,gte,1&sort=evGoals&page=0&pageSize=50

Panarin and Stone have been the only guys close in recent memory, and they weren't cheap. The only pending UFA who consistently scores more EVG than Vrana is Ovechkin. And the rumor is he's staying in Washington. If there were any doubt about that, I don't think there would be any rumors that Vrana could be available.

Eichel - 375GP/355PTS / 0.95PGP
Point - 331GP / 294PTS / 0.89PGP

Vrana - 208GP / 155PTS / 0.75GP

We’ve got a pretty good RHD prospect in Alec Regula, and our only good goalie prospect Comesso is the standard bearer of the next era of goaltending in Chicago. Regula might be available, but I’m not sure with what asset(s) he can be (stuffed into an egg carton) with to get JV.

At even strength, since summer 2018, Vrana has as many goals as Pasta.

Comparing his total points to guys who get power play time because their teams don't have Ovechkin and Kuznetsov on the left boards doesn't make him any less elite. At evens, since 2018, Vrana scored more goals than Eichel or Point or all but a dozen guys in the NHL: Ovechkin, Matthews, Kane, McDavid, Draisaitl, Tavares, Gallagher(?), MacKinnon, Connor, Aho, Guentzel, and maybe Pasta (tied, but Pasta played fewer games).

Again, I think that the Bruins should try to make an offer, but I think the Caps would be very brave to trade Vrana inside their division.

Teams don't trade by only looking a 5v5 and I take Vrana on Boston, but not at a Pasta level player lol

I would be interested in him if he could play right wing, but can he?

You know who plays a lot of RW and scores almost as many EVG as Vrana, on a team that might be thinking about some rebuild type moves? Sam Reinhart has 44 since the 2018 offseason, to Vrana's 57. That's still good for a spot in the top fifty. Go make an offer for him. After it's rejected, see if it will get you Vrana.

Nobody is saying the B's would ever trade Pasta. They won't. Relax. You can't put a value on a guy like that.

And Pastrnak's role as a team's only consistent goal scorer is definitely harder than Vrana's role as a team's 2nd best goal scoring left wing. But at evens since 2018 they each have 57 goals. They're also both pretty decent at puck possession and they both seem to help their teammates do better when they are on the ice. I don't think either team should look to trade either of them. But if the Caps are into it, I think Chicago and Boston have the fewest goals for of likely playoff teams this year, and should get interested.

I mean if BUF was trading Eichel to Boston he'd be worth Pasta. Your saying a 1st + Vrana + some 2nds are good enough for Eichel and Point. Based on that you could conclude that Pasta for Vrana + 1st and some 2nds would be fair value for Pasta.....and it's flat out not even close.

Would you trade DeBrincat or Kane for 1st + some 2nds and Vrana?

He's a Caps fan...so YEAH he would. Would the Hawks...no way!

Eli I think you're a smart guy that 100% provides good supporting information to support your point of view. I also think Vrana is a good player. 5v5 is a metric I do like to keep track of. It's not the only metric and to be fair, you never suggested it was. There are a couple of other things we need to note as well. Who does he play with...Backstrom and Kuznetsov aren't hacks AND the team in general is a VERY good team. I bring this up because this matters ALOT. I'll give you another example that hurts one of my favorite players. Alex Debrincat. That dude emobies everything a quality hockey player needs. He has 106 goals in his 4 year career ( That A.) Doesn't cherry pick specific years...it's his entire career. B.) He hasn't finished his 4th year yet and C.) Had 2 shortened seasons due to COVID ). He will likely be 2nd ALL TIME on the Blackhawks goal list in his 4 four seasons. Ahead of Toews...Ahead of Kane. Is Debrincat THAT good? No. He's not Toews. He's not Kane. He plays on a line with Kane...who is quite literally the best passer I've ever seen play hockey...EVER. So that will affect his goals scored. Is Debrincat good? HELL YEAH! You gotta be able to score once it's on your stick, but he does have help too.

Can Vrana be a quality player on the Hawks. ABSOLUTELY. Are these players under-rated. ABSOLUTELY. I just wouldn't be comparing him to Eichel/Pasta or anyone that scores more than 70 points in a season. Is he worth Regula and a 2nd. Yes. Is he worth the #15 pick...value wise, maybe. BUT organizationally speaking I don't think the Hawks pull the trigger on that one.

Thanks! I don't think the Hawks draft top 20 if they add Vrana. He's helped teams get to the finals in the AHL, WJC, and NHL. Third time was the charm, as far as winning a championship, but none of those teams were expected to be there.

It's absolutely a team sport and I agree that being the main guy on a team is a harder role than being 2L behind Ovechkin. It's like how whoever player 2R behind Kane has an easy job. And if Vrana had that job, plus a little top power play time, he'd have a lot of points. Quite possibly more than 80, for a few years.

The Caps traded Burakovsky because while either could score goals, Vrana was a better passer. Burakovsky has continued to score goals, and I'm confident Vrana will too, wherever he goes.

Every time someone mentions trading Vrana, fans of other teams forget that Vrana plays a third to a half of each year on Lars Eller's line, and people start talking about how Kuznetsov is a superstar 80 point center. But as soon as a Caps fan mentions the possibility of trading Kuznetsov, fans of 30 teams laugh that Kuznetsov is a hack who would be nothing without Ovechkin.

I mean if BUF was trading Eichel to Boston he'd be worth Pasta. Your saying a 1st + Vrana + some 2nds are good enough for Eichel and Point. Based on that you could conclude that Pasta for Vrana + 1st and some 2nds would be fair value for Pasta.....and it's flat out not even close.

Would you trade DeBrincat or Kane for 1st + some 2nds and Vrana?

He's a Caps fan...so YEAH he would. Would the Hawks...no way!

Eichel - 375GP/355PTS / 0.95PGP
Point - 331GP / 294PTS / 0.89PGP

Vrana - 208GP / 155PTS / 0.75GP

Patrick Kane - 1011gp / 1071PTS / 1.06PPG
Austin Matthews - 316gp / 327PTS / 1.03PPG
Connor McDavid - 389gp / 533PTS / 1.37PPG

Just some more perspective against the NHL's top 3 forwards