Evgeny Kuznetsov still follows former Washington Capitals teammate Jakub Vrana and is excited to see where his NHL journey goes as he thrives with the St. Louis Blues.
ARLINGTON, V.A. -- Evgeny Kuznetsov reads the NHL headlines and follows the news around the league, and one player he keeps a close eye on is former Washington Capitals teammate Jakub Vrana.
Kuznetsov and Vrana became close during Vrana's lengthy tenure in D.C., as the two experienced a Stanley Cup championship together and spent a lot of time together on and off the ice.
"Of course I follow him," Kuznetsov said matter-of-factly, adding, "We was talking a lot."
It's been a difficult year for Vrana, who played just two games with the Detroit Red Wings to open the season before entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, which assists players with mental health, substance abuse and other issues.
After returning, he was waived by the Red Wings and sent to the AHL before subsequently being traded to the St. Louis Blues at the deadline, where he has thrived with nine goals and two assists in 13 games while averaging 15:06 minutes per night, the most of his career so far.
"Amazing. Life lessons, I feel like that's how people can grow and learn and get mature," Kuznetsov said. "I'm proud of him and I'm very happy, how he's doing right now."
It's also no surprise to No. 92 that Vrana is thriving with St. Louis, as he believes that it was a match made in heaven and a place where the Czech forward can truly come into his own.
"Fits very, very perfect for him," Kuznetsov said. "He's got everything that they need: speed, and he has goals... I'm hoping he's gonna have a good career over there and he's gonna be Blues for a long time."