Article: David Jiricek Offers the Wild More Than Raw Talent

[Tony Abbott]

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[1Brotherbill]

So, if we look at the trade as being our 2025 first round pick this is a really good trade.  The other picks would just be trade material or roster fillers in Iowa.  Though it is possible that they could turn out to be stars, it is however unlikely. 

Next year the Wild will have to choose from the following for defenseman.  Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon, Middleton, Bogosian, Buium, and Jiricek.  As much as I like Chisholm he really hasn't seized the opportunity and run with it.  So, I doubt the Wild resign him now.  

Things like this always look good on paper.  We will have to wait and see if it turns out to be what we want.  

[Mateo3xm]

Was a pretty decent amount to give up but I like it. We need size and skill on defense and that’s what this guy has. As a rookie 19yr old in the Ahl he put up some big numbers. Only thing is he needs to work on his defense a bit and his skating.

Luckily for us we have a fantastic skating coach to help him. I think it’s really important for people to give him time to develop. I dont think the Jackets wanted to give him much slack to develop and let him learn from mistakes. He’s 21 now and the start of NHLers prime is early to mid 20s.Defenseman typically take a little longer. 
 

 

[mnfaninnc]

Nice article, nice move. I'd been itching for news since about 3pm this afternoon. The return? It had to be done! This was a win that Guerin needed. The time was absolutely right. I'd like to see him get a few practices in, assess him, and send him down to Iowa to work on some stuff. 

He'll have a friendly face down there in Spacek. My hope now is that Andy Ness dusts off his magic wand and applies it to Jiricek. Jiricek must familiarize himself with our system, with our checks, with our pinches, and with his new teammates. I suspect he will be just fine! 

On the other side, Waddell got what he could. My suspicion is that he didn't like the prospects being offered and went for draft picks instead. It's not his fault any of this happened, previous management really screwed this kid up. 

For Jiricek, pinned on his jersey as he heads to Iowa should be the instructions: Play this man 22+ minutes a night, all situations. Personally, I'd like to have him teamed with Lambos on the #1 pairing. He's got some things to work on that only heavy minutes will produce. Call him up whenever Spurgy needs some maintenance time.

As for our fanbase, we've got to be patient with him. Just put it in your expectation bucket that there will be mistakes, particularly on the defensive side. Cheer for him anyway. If he fills in for Spurgy, he'll have Brodin as a partner, a very calming influence. Please remember he's just turning 21. 

I like the future right side of Faber-Jiricek-Spacek. This was a very nice move. Where else are you going to find a player for a 1st rounder in the 20s? That guy is going to take 5 more years to develop and the same with the subsequent picks. 

More importantly to us, this signals that Shooter has changed course. The flags are blowing and they read "We are now in NOW mode." This is who we're running with. Now we've just got to get them developed. 

[greg]

Well we will see if this works.  It's pretty hard to say Guerin won this trade or made a great deal.  It's assuming Jiricek turns out to be a stud. If not then all the draft picks given away could come back to haunt.  Go Wild!!

[Lovehockey]

I really like the trade BUT two questions:

- like was said before next year we will have Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon, Middleton, Bogosian, Buium, and Jiricek. All of them except Bogosian are top 4 defenders. Who will be 3rd pairing?

- if we are in the “win now” mode as we should be, will having 3 very young defenders be a problem? 

[Burnt Toast]

40 minutes ago, mnfaninnc said:

More importantly to us, this signals that Shooter has changed course

This is exactly the kind of move I was hoping for. A player that is absolutely not a quick fix rental but a potential long term piece. Getting a big RSD with skill is huge. We need a couple of more upgrades in key positions but suddenly the Wild are in the conversation for contenders. The timing seems right. 

[Citizen Strife]

It fits the timetable perfectly.  It fills a need and future proofs the right side in a way they really needed.  Big defensemen with scoring punch are big gets.  If he gets anywhere close to the hype, it was a big win.

[Enforceror]

Now we need a 2nd line upgrade and we're big fellas. We probably have a defenseman for trade. What's next, I'm in 

[Mateo3xm]

3 hours ago, 1Brotherbill said:

So, if we look at the trade as being our 2025 first round pick this is a really good trade.  The other picks would just be trade material or roster fillers in Iowa.  Though it is possible that they could turn out to be stars, it is however unlikely. 

Next year the Wild will have to choose from the following for defenseman.  Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon, Middleton, Bogosian, Buium, and Jiricek.  As much as I like Chisholm he really hasn't seized the opportunity and run with it.  So, I doubt the Wild resign him now.  

Things like this always look good on paper.  We will have to wait and see if it turns out to be what we want.  

Chisholm is a 3rd pair dman with size. You can’t really seize the opportunity as a 3rd pair. I think he does a great job. His job is to play good defensively and that’s what he does. I recently saw a stat where he was at the top of the league in terms on not letting the opposing team score while he’s on the ice. 
obviously that’s going to be skewed because he doesn’t play anywhere near top line minutes but that’s still very impressive. For the responsibility he’s given he more than meets expectations. 
I’ll try to come back and post the source if I can.

[Pewterschmidt]

If he becomes our Chris pronger for 10 years that would be ok with me.  

[Imyourhuckleberry]

Exciting time to be a Wild fan, with Buium and Yurov also on the horizon. Yurov is only at .5 points per game so far this year, but he is still a strong prospect.

The Wild need only to bring in a legit top 6 winger and they could have a fighting chance at true contention in the near future.

Don't mind losing Hunt or the 1st round pick because the Wild are looking to contend each of the next handful of seasons and a 2025 late 1st round draft pick might not be ready to truly help a team until 2030.

[Imyourhuckleberry]

3 hours ago, Lovehockey said:

- like was said before next year we will have Faber, Brodin, Spurgeon, Middleton, Bogosian, Buium, and Jiricek. All of them except Bogosian are top 4 defenders. Who will be 3rd pairing?

Jiricek & Middleton?

Too many good defensemen to play them all 20 minutes is a good problem to have. Unlike last season, every defenseman on the Wild is playing well this year, including Merrill, Chisholm, and Bogosian.

The Wild will have Lambos in the AHL getting ready to step in if injury should require him to be elevated in the future, and Spacek. I didn't always follow prospects, but I cannot imagine a time when the Wild were anywhere near this strong defensively and also had star caliber D prospects in the pipeline.

Definitely seems like a much better use of a 1st round pick than the late season rental of Martin Hanzal!

[OldDutchChip]

hold up Tony

A potential (current?) No. 1 center? Hello, Marco Rossi. 

No. 1 center = Marco Rossi? HAHA

High-upside forward prospects? Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt have entered the chat.

Really? again we are doing this? Fine Yurov - the next Fedorov, just like Ohgren is the next Matthews/Forsberg - yes the very same that is in AHL now. 

A bonafide power play quarterback that's nearly NHL-ready? That's what drafting Zeev Buium was for.

Yes, maybe patience a bit? Nope - let's celebrate the next big thing that will never fail!

A goalie of the future? We all know about Jesper Wallstedt

Yeah we do! Drafted 3 years ago! Posting stellar 4.35 GAA and .860 SV% (check out his peer - Askarov - doing a bit better huh?)

As soon as the end of the season, the Wild could theoretically ice a starting lineup that includes:

Yurov - Rossi - Boldy
Buium - Jiricek
Wallstedt

Rossi will be traded. Wally will still be in AHL at this pace and hopefully Gus will be still our net force. Buium and Jiricek will be battling for third pair spot (Fab/Midds, Broding/Spurge, Chissy/Open? and Yurov may be either in AHL, ST.P, or who knows where. 

Not sure i am as excited as others. This is not a trade that will pay dividends any time soon. Maybe 2-3 years down the line. Comparing him to great D of the past is all well and good but does about the same as comparing Ohgren to Matthews. 

 

 

[Beast]

Not sure I’m a fan.  Also not really bent out of shape about it.

I heard someone say they gave up the equivalent of an 8th overall pick.  He wouldn’t be drafted that high right now.  He can’t skate and is conflicting with an organization at the age of 21.

Could turn out well.  The upside is there IF he can learn to skate….but how many can’t skate defensive prospects turn into something worth a top 10 pick in value?

He’s a right shot, which helps.  He’s big and physical, which helps.

There’s just a nagging feeling that this guy won’t work out.  He seems sure fire to have some sort of reasonable NHL career.  But why would a bad team opt to cut bait vs give him a real shot?  They know more than anyone, and it’s not exactly a dog fight for minutes (not nearly as much as it will be here).  Might have rather have seen them up the prospect(s) offered and gotten someone else that can help now.  But, I’m not overly confident in the take.  He may flourish here and Columbus could be wrong.

 

[MacGyver]

I'm fine with this trade I don't feel we gave up too much for him but I'm not gushing like some are about his being a stud. Sounds like the kid has an attitude problem as well the fact he can't skate. Wasn't that part of the reason CBJ cut loose of him? The kid was pouty because he was sent to the A when he thought he should be chewing up N minutes. If so he is not going to be any happier down in Iowa.  We may find out he is uncoachable and bounces around until he is just out of a job.

Sounds like his size is his biggest selling point but may be what's keeping him from being a light-footed skating defenseman. Always a trade off. 

This is really a wait and see project. I was really expecting Billy to unload his main problem Rossi for this project so I'll take this trade and give Billy his credit. 

Edited December 1 by MacGyver

[Citizen Strife]

2024-2025 Numbers Game (24 Games Played)

Record: 16-4-4; (36 pts, T-1st in Central, T-1st in Western Conference, T-1st in NHL)

Goals For: 3.21 Per Game (12th in NHL)

Goals Against: 2.33 Per Game (1st in NHL)

PP: 19.7% (T-18th in NHL)

PK: 73.7% (27th in NHL)

Gustavsson: 11-4-3, 2.05 GAA (8th in Goalies), .929 SV% (6th in Goalies)*

Fleury: 5-0-1, 2.64 GAA (30th in Goalies), .905 SV% (33rd in Goalies)*

*Goalie Rankings could be skewed due to differences in games played. For instance, when weighed against goalies with 8 or more starts, Gus is ranked 1st in GAA and 1st in SV%

Kaprizov: 15G, 23A, 38P (1st in NHL), +18 (T-2nd in NHL)

Boldy: 11G, 13A, 24P (T-33rd in NHL), +9

Rossi: 7G, 12A, 19P (T-74th in NHL), +8

Zuccarello: 6G, 8A, 14P (T-136th in NHL), +6

Gaudreau/Ek tied at 13P (T-158 in NHL)

+/-

Highest: Kaprizov (+18/T-2nd in NHL), Middleton (+16/T-7th in NHL), Ek/BoldyFaber (+9)

Lowest: Merril (-1), Khusnutdinov/Ohgren (-2), Lauko (-3)

[B1GKappa97]

Seems like a great move to me. Lots of picks going the other way but we wouldn't have seen them crack the roster until 2028 anyway and by that time we are hopefully pretty stacked as-is. 

Reading into Jiricek, I do get some Calen Addison vibes in that he didn't like how he was coached in Columbus and wanted big minutes before his coaches through he'd earned them. Jiricek does have considerably better size and is a more physical player though, so maybe we're willing to put up with the attitude as long as it leads to two-way results. 

I will say that we could use a booming shot from the blueline since Dumba left. Jiricek will fit that role. I'd slot him next to Brodin and let him go to town on the PP2 and on offensive zone draws. 

[BillieGismylover]

Tony, where’s all the Guerin bashing gone??? 
Realistically we need to pump the brakes on this trade. That’s a lot of high draft picks to give up. There must be a legit reason the cbj didn’t think he was nhl ready yet. And now we are going to give him a starting job on the best team in the nhl (according to Russo). I hope this doesn’t mess with our current culture. 

[Will D. Ness]

Echoing what others have said... the team has turned a corner here.  Whether this trade is a winner or not, the focus is changing from the future to now.

I think a 6'4" RHD addresses one of the needs in our lineup.

On the flip side, these highly drafted rejects are more often failures than successes, so it's a craps shoot.

[Pewterschmidt]

An nhl ready dman (Hunt) + 1st +2nd+3rd +4th for a prospect is a bit of a fools ransom.   Billy never afraid to overpay.   If jirizy becomes Pronger Billy is a hero, if he’s a bust no one will remember the picks +hunt.  Guerin can’t lose in this deal.  I like that Guerin likes to make a splash at 20 game mark.  Get this guy in lineup and let’s see what we got. 

[mnfaninnc]

9 hours ago, Beast said:

There’s just a nagging feeling that this guy won’t work out.  He seems sure fire to have some sort of reasonable NHL career.  But why would a bad team opt to cut bait vs give him a real shot?  They know more than anyone, and it’s not exactly a dog fight for minutes (not nearly as much as it will be here).  Might have rather have seen them up the prospect(s) offered and gotten someone else that can help now.  But, I’m not overly confident in the take.  He may flourish here and Columbus could be wrong.

This sounds like a classic case of CBS (Cam Barker Syndrome). While Barker had a year or 2 of success, Jiricek is yet to have that. Let's also remember that Barker was not this big. 

Also remember, tall guys have a tendency to take longer to smooth out their skating. Somehow I believe he will be up with the big club before it is completely smoothed out. I'll give you a for instance: Last year I commented that Middleton looked like he had gained a step. His speed was more evident. Midsy was 27 and well known for being a late bloomer. While I don't think Jiricek will take that long, those deficiencies will need to be worked on. 

Columbus has mismanaged this prospect pretty much since they drafted him. They've also pissed him off numerous times. He asked for the trade and wanted out. You can't just say to a guy like that, who cares, you're here for 6 years. Disgruntled players infect the rest of the franchise. And, while Waddell came in hanging the sign "Under New Management," he inherited a mess. It would be a fallacy to believe that hanging this sign smoothed everything over with all the players. 

I don't believe this will be the only player that Columbus has to divorce from. This is the risky part of tanking for rebuilds. There is no real momentum for this franchise right now. It's like it has a dark cloud hanging over it. They've got about 1/3rd of their pieces in place right now. And this is assuming none of those ask out. It is a hard time to be a Blue Jackets fan right now. 

As for Waddell, he didn't do a very good job as the Thrashers' GM, he did a decent job as the Canes GM, but if he can pull off a successful rebuild here, he will be one of the highest coveted GMs out there. 

So, if there's a divorce, why can't we pick up the pieces? I think he'll need some confidence boosters along with his skating and gap control. What should help is having a partner who can play with greater than average gap control. Both Brodin and Faber can do that. 

 

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, MacGyver said:

The kid was pouty because he was sent to the A when he thought he should be chewing up N minutes. If so he is not going to be any happier down in Iowa.

This is a risk, but I'd suggest that Guerin can put forth a plan and just be straight forward, brutally honest with him about what needs to happen. Guerin does believe in the A, and he truly believes in Andy Ness. 

Has Spurgy spoken to him yet? I'd have to think he already has. I'd also suggest that the Wild locker room is far superior to the CBJ locker room at this time. It's one thing to be told "you're not playing well enough, you're going to Cleveland" vs. "you've got some really good skill, let's get you acclimated and work on your game a bit." 

I think remembering what Tua said about Flores and McDonald comes to mind here. It is very possible he was in a toxic environment. 

[mnfaninnc]

How is Guerin building the roster? He's put in a 5 year window of the draft.

• 2020- Marco Rossi, Khus, Brock Faber
• 2021 The Wall, Carson Lambos, Caeden Bankier
• 2022 David Jiricek, Liam Ohgren, Danila Yurov, Hunter Haight, Rieger Lorenz,  Mikey Milne, David Spacek
• 2023 Charlie Stramel, Rasmus Kumpulainen, Riley Heidt
• 2024 Zeev Buium, Ryder Ritchie, Sebastion Soini

All these guys won't make it, and all these guys have particular roles. They won't all be top 6 or top 4. But, each one of these guys represents the core of this team. We will have to fill other spots around this core, but having guys like Goose, Kaprizov, Boldy, Brodin, Ek, Midsy, Hartsy and Foligno help. Most of this core will be in the 2020-2022 draft window. 

I like that Guerin has focused on a window like this. He has traded twice into these windows. Having a core like this is the best way to build a long term contender. Guys, they're coming! Get excited.

As for expectations, they will likely not hit the ground running, there will be a learning curve and mistakes. Don't expect a perfect juggernaut. We should embrace getting to watch these guys grow. I know many here are excited about watching Rossi grow. He isn't perfect, has plenty to work on, but is improving. It is like this for Khus too. He's getting better, Chisholm, he's getting better, Faber, he's getting better. 

[mnfaninnc]

Also, I don't care who the teams were, it is a really big deal to sweep a 3/4 schedule. 

Much of the NHL was on that schedule this week. The Preds? They managed a loser point in all 3.