That the Detroit Red Wings were willing to lose Jakub Vrana for nothing is a clear sign they do not see a fit for him in their future. The immediate question is: What about the present?
Vrana certainly wouldn't be the first player placed on waivers — he cleared Wednesday afternoon — who returned to play for the organization. Defenseman Danny DeKeyser did it, as did 2015 first-round pick Evgeny Svechnikov. But DeKeyser was in the twilight of his career, and Svechnikov was a bubble player, unable to prove he belonged in the NHL as a regular.