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  4. title => "What do the Capitals do with Jakub Vrana?"
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  6. article_body => "<p>You don\u2019t have to watch Jakub Vrana very long to realize just how talented he is. Unfortunately for him, you also don\u2019t have to watch very long to realize how turnover prone he can be as well.<\/p>\n<p>Carelessness with puck management has been one of the glaring issues for the Caps in the early season and Vrana, as he has been for much of his young career, is certainly guilty of that.<\/p>\n<p>Vrana\u2019s combination of talent and penchant for on-ice mistakes presents a problem for head coach Todd Reirden as he has to find the right place plug him into the lineup. That challenge has thus far proven difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Vrana entered the Nov. 3 game against the Dallas Stars on the top line. &nbsp;After a minus-three game and a turnover in overtime that led to Dallas\u2019 game-winning goal, he found himself on the fourth line the very next game with barely eight minutes of ice time.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe'll continue to try to remove those glaring turnovers or defense mistakes from his game,\u201d Reirden said recently. \u201cI think it's something that has improved compared to prior years which is why he spent the majority of the time up with those top-six guys, but it's sometimes good for a reset with some of the bottom-six guys and then start slotting him back in.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>At 22-years-old, mistakes on the ice are to be expected. But Vrana may take that to the extreme.<\/p>\n<p>Not only does Vrana commit a lot of careless turnovers, he is also guilty of taking far too many penalties. Vrana ranks third on the team with 14 penalty minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Mistakes by a forward are not nearly as glaring to a coach as those by a defensemen considering the mistakes tend to happen in the offensive zone and are less likely to result in a goal for the other team. When those offensive zone mistakes lead to offensive zone penalties, however, that\u2019s a different story.<\/p>\n<p>But Vrana is simply too skilled to bury in the lineup or take out altogether. With four even-strength goals, Vrana is tied for the third-most on the team behind only T.J. Oshie (7) and Alex Ovechkin (6). Of all the forwards Reirden has cycled into the top line in Tom Wilson\u2019s absence to play with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vrana was the player who seemed to fit the best. He does not provide the same sort of defensive balance to the top line as Wilson does, but no one has been able to step in and adequately fill Wilson\u2019s spot thus far. Vrana added an extra element of speed and offensive skill to an already dangerous line and seemed to show chemistry with Kuznetsov especially.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere's some really good things that he's showing,\u201d Reirden said. \u201cThe speed he plays with, the release of his shot, the chances he's getting, you've got to try to find ways to get him out there more.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Wilson will soon return to fill his top line role and Reirden will soon get his full lineup for the first time this season. Yet, almost a quarter into the season Vrana still makes it hard to find the right spot for him.<\/p>\n<p>Putting Vrana on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie \u2013 if Reirden reunites Ovechkin and Kuznetsov \u2013 seems like the best fit. Backstrom and Oshie can make up for Vrana\u2019s defensive issues and Vrana can provide speed on an otherwise slower line.<\/p>\n<p>But at some point, Vrana has to cut back on the turnovers and the penalties.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou've got to continue to show him,\u201d Reirden said. \u201cContinue to show him, continue to `remind him, continue to teach and help him grow and get better. That's a young player trying to become a top-six full time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>MORE CAPITALS NEWS:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>It ain't working: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/why-capitals-new-penalty-kill-strategy-isnt-working\">Why Caps' PKs keep coming up short<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Latest power rankings:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/nhl-power-rankings-caps-finish-sluggish-home-stand\" target=\"_blank\">Where sluggish Caps land<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Nicklas Backstrom:<\/strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/washington\/capitals\/capitals-let-homestand-get-away-4-1-loss-coyotes\" target=\"_blank\">'We\u2019ve got to really put our brains on again'<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <iframe src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/capitals-faceoff\/episodes\/2382fefe-abbd-4d10-84f7-b0981f0d501d\/embed\" style=\"width: 100%; height: 200px; border: 0 none;\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe> \n"
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Capitals

Capitals

You don’t have to watch Jakub Vrana very long to realize just how talented he is. Unfortunately for him, you also don’t have to watch very long to realize how turnover prone he can be as well.

Carelessness with puck management has been one of the glaring issues for the Caps in the early season and Vrana, as he has been for much of his young career, is certainly guilty of that.

Vrana’s combination of talent and penchant for on-ice mistakes presents a problem for head coach Todd Reirden as he has to find the right place plug him into the lineup. That challenge has thus far proven difficult.

Vrana entered the Nov. 3 game against the Dallas Stars on the top line.  After a minus-three game and a turnover in overtime that led to Dallas’ game-winning goal, he found himself on the fourth line the very next game with barely eight minutes of ice time.

“We'll continue to try to remove those glaring turnovers or defense mistakes from his game,” Reirden said recently. “I think it's something that has improved compared to prior years which is why he spent the majority of the time up with those top-six guys, but it's sometimes good for a reset with some of the bottom-six guys and then start slotting him back in.”

At 22-years-old, mistakes on the ice are to be expected. But Vrana may take that to the extreme.

Not only does Vrana commit a lot of careless turnovers, he is also guilty of taking far too many penalties. Vrana ranks third on the team with 14 penalty minutes.

 

Mistakes by a forward are not nearly as glaring to a coach as those by a defensemen considering the mistakes tend to happen in the offensive zone and are less likely to result in a goal for the other team. When those offensive zone mistakes lead to offensive zone penalties, however, that’s a different story.

But Vrana is simply too skilled to bury in the lineup or take out altogether. With four even-strength goals, Vrana is tied for the third-most on the team behind only T.J. Oshie (7) and Alex Ovechkin (6). Of all the forwards Reirden has cycled into the top line in Tom Wilson’s absence to play with Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vrana was the player who seemed to fit the best. He does not provide the same sort of defensive balance to the top line as Wilson does, but no one has been able to step in and adequately fill Wilson’s spot thus far. Vrana added an extra element of speed and offensive skill to an already dangerous line and seemed to show chemistry with Kuznetsov especially.

“There's some really good things that he's showing,” Reirden said. “The speed he plays with, the release of his shot, the chances he's getting, you've got to try to find ways to get him out there more.”

But Wilson will soon return to fill his top line role and Reirden will soon get his full lineup for the first time this season. Yet, almost a quarter into the season Vrana still makes it hard to find the right spot for him.

Putting Vrana on a line with Nicklas Backstrom and Oshie – if Reirden reunites Ovechkin and Kuznetsov – seems like the best fit. Backstrom and Oshie can make up for Vrana’s defensive issues and Vrana can provide speed on an otherwise slower line.

But at some point, Vrana has to cut back on the turnovers and the penalties.

“You've got to continue to show him,” Reirden said. “Continue to show him, continue to `remind him, continue to teach and help him grow and get better. That's a young player trying to become a top-six full time.”

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