The Vrana Situation is a Big Gamble...Kind Of
Nashville acquired forward Jakub Vrana off waivers from the Washington Capitals in March. Prior to joining Smashville in their journey to the first overall pick, Vrana recorded 11 points in 26 games with the Capitals. Two seasons prior, he scored ten goals in 20 games with the St. Louis Blues, proving himself as a top six scoring forward.
Since joining the Preds, the former 52-point winger only managed to register two goals—one on the power play—and one assist in 13 games played. The left side of the Predators roster is already pretty deep with Filip Forsberg and Michael Bunting taking up the first two lines. With Nashville likely relying on their youth next season, Vrana could see little icetime. Knowing this, I don't believe either Trotz or Vrana would be interested in an extension anytime soon.
I did mention that this situation could be a big gamble though. The reason is that he's performed well in the past. He peaked in the 2019-20 season when put up an impressive 52 points—25 goals and 27 assists—in 69 games with the Capitals. While his point totals haven't been that high, he's still displaying himself as a consistent bottom-six winger. Considering Nashville acquired Vrana for nothing, it could be a risk giving up the potential.
In the end, it is probably safe to mutually part ways with the 29-year-old. He'd likely fight for a spot in the lineup and fail to do much with an offensively weak squad. For laughs though, if Vrana did resign, he'd probably agree to a one-year deal with $1.5 or 2 million AAV. A low-risk, trial deal could benefit both Nashville and Vrana's paycheck.