The journey from hyped prospect to full-time NHLer starts with that all-important first game – the NHL debut.
Last night marked such a rite of passage for Jakub Vrana, the 20-year-old Czech selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. After the traditional rookie hazing of a lonely warmup lap, Vrana took to the ice with his ‘mates and announced his presence almost immediately, getting a slick backhand shot on Isles’ goaltender Jaroslav Halak early in the first period - one of four shots he put on net in just over ten minutes of ice time overall.