After months of speculation, David Jiříček has been traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jiříček hadn’t been able to establish himself on the current Blue Jackets roster after playing 43 NHL games last season. His and the team’s mutual frustration, plus the league standings, eventually led to this.
Trade details, per sources:
To #mnwild: David Jiricek, 5th Rd Pick
To #CBJ: Damon Hunt, 2025 1st Rd Pick, 2027 2nd Rd Pick, 4th Rd Pick— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 30, 2024
David Jiříček Finally Moved
The highly-touted Jiříček was drafted sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. There are few players ahead of him for games played in that same class, but expectations were high. For good reason, the already 6’3″ Jiříček was playing against men since he was 17 and showing well.
Whether they were too high is going to be difficult to say until he’s in another system, but he was recalled from the AHL eight times in the 2022-23 season. Clearly, his coaches saw something there that they liked beyond his size. While he only scored one goal and ten points in the NHL, his AHL scoring numbers have been excellent.
It’s very rare to see a prospect moved when he’s still on his entry-level contract, especially one drafted in the top ten. Even more so when that prospect is such a rare commodity. Every team in the league is scouring the trade lists for a big, smooth-skating right-shot defenceman. The Wild happened to come up with the best package.
Who Got What
In David Jiříček, the Wild get a right-side defenceman who can handle the puck well, produce points, and isn’t afraid to use his size. They also have him under team control, as he will negotiate his next contract as a restricted free agent. There is some risk involved in getting such a young player, but it’s not hard to see the upside here.
For Columbus, they are still a team trying to find their identity. A player like Jiříček is expendable at this time in their team’s progress into contention. General manager Don Waddell has shown he’s not afraid to make a trade, if he thinks it benefits his club in one way or another. They will move into contention, but it is a process and this is a move that shows that to be true. The draft picks were definitely an influence in closing the deal.
Main Photo: Dan DeChiara – Image Images
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