Vrana placed on waivers, then taken off... now traded?

Earlier today, there were reports that the St. Louis Blues had placed forward Jakub Vrana on waivers.

Then... well... they didn't.

While multiple insiders were reporting that Vrana was on waivers, Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is reporting that Vrana was NOT placed on waivers and looks to be in play via trade this afternoon.

Check it all out:

UPDATE: The latest from Blues insider Jeremy Rutherford:

Vrana, for what it's worth, is in the final year of a hefty $15.75 million contract that he signed with the Detroit Red Wings back in 2021. He's making $5.25 million this season and is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason. Interestingly enough though, the Red Wings retained $2.625 of his salary in their trade to the Blues, making Vrana's cap hit just $2.625 million for the rest of the season.

He's an intriguing talent with oodles of skill, but he his production and his defensive play has severely declined in recent seasons. After taking nearly an entire season off to deal with personal problems through the NHLPA's Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program, Vrana has made a slow adjustment back into the game. Which, honestly, you hate to see. I'll never kick a guy when he's down and it looks like Vrana is trying, or at least has tried to fix some of his personal problems. It's clear to everyone though that his game has suffered as a result of whatever he's fighting through, however.

He has just two goals and six points in 19 games for the Blues this season, after a fairly productive 20 games with the team last season where he managed 10 goals and 14 points. Again, the sky is the limit with Vrana's skill and talent. If he could sort out his personal life, he could be one of the top scorers in the NHL.

At this point though, Vrana has had three NHL teams essentially throw up their hands in dealing with him and his issues. We'll have to see if he's given a 4th chance at an NHL career. Stay tuned.