Article: What Is Going On With David Jiricek?

[Justin Hein]

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[TCMooch]

Maybe one of the worst trades for Big Billy Bean. Not a fan of Jiricek and we never should have traded for him. If he couldn't stick on a shit team like the Blue Jackets than I don't understand why we valued him so much.

[Pewterschmidt]

gonna

[Pewterschmidt]

Forgot about Addison.  Meatball has been wasting assets on ahl d-men from day one

[Will D. Ness]

The thing is here though is that all he needs to do is clean up his game in his own zone.  That's it really, and he probably is our 3rd RHD.  

It seems like an easy fix... but yet he cannot do it.

[Burnt Toast]

I’m giving DJ three more years then I will make my assessment. Too early to tell. As for timing on this particular trade I’d say it hasn’t worked out. The Wild are now on a fast track. Unfortunately DJ, if traded now would be an “SLS” (sell low situation)

[raithis]

16 minutes ago, Burnt Toast said:

I’m giving DJ three more years then I will make my assessment. Too early to tell.

Agreed.  I think people should read this part again.

Quote

Calen Addison busted out. If Jiricek is the only other true miss, that’s part of the process to build an exceptional defense corps. 

Before writing the towering blue-liner off, though, remember that development is not linear. It’s not a matter of getting one percent better every day; rather, players grind and develop individual skills such as shooting, skating, and (crucially for Jiricek) decision-making. Each of these skills can influence the others, which leads to a cycle of plateaus and breakthroughs. 

Nobody knows for sure how good David Jiricek will become. Someday, his story will become a lesson in what to look for (or avoid) in the NHL draft. For now, let him serve as a reminder that the development process often comes with frustration. 

Just don’t confuse frustration with the absence of progress. 

Jiricek seems like he has all the talent and ability to be a really good defenseman.  It's just taking longer than everyone would like for him to put it together.

Some players seem to be able to do that quicker than others, and being in the Wild's development system isn't going to make that happen any faster for a player who can't make that transition largely on their own.

The thing I'm most critical of Guerin for is his failure to recognize how ineffective his development team is at actually developing anyone.  There's a lot wrong there, and it's a pattern of poor results.  The players that have become good prospects largely have done so because they were developed elsewhere before they arrived and had a high floor.  Everyone else seems to take a step back if they end up in the system too long.

[Fortis]

CBJ is laughing on their way to the bank. BG is destroying our future to attempt to make himself look like he knows what he’s doing

[Fortis]

2 hours ago, Will D. Ness said:

The thing is here though is that all he needs to do is clean up his game in his own zone.  That's it really, and he probably is our 3rd RHD.  

It seems like an easy fix... but yet he cannot do it.

A #6 overall draft pick defenseman should be able to figure out how to play defense yeah?

[Patrick]

Jiricek could play right now and be fine on the bottom pair.  Fortunately the Wild don't need a bottom pair guy so he can get more minutes in Iowa and develop into a top 4 guy.  He will eventually play in the top 4. His time is coming. Be patient.

Also, Iowa sucks. You can't hold anyone accountable for what happens down there. Look at Wallstedt last year!

[Fortis]

2 minutes ago, Patrick said:

Also, Iowa sucks. You can't hold anyone accountable for what happens down there. Look at Wallstedt last year!

Isn’t Iowa prospects and development also the GM’s job?

[mnfaninnc]

1 minute ago, Fortis said:

Isn’t Iowa prospects and development also the GM’s job?

Yes and no. Everything falls beneath Guerin, so that part is yes. But, Bombadir or Hendricks is responsible for Iowa, and this is where I believe we have the wrong people in place. 

We've got guys there with NHL experience, yet draft undersized kids with a bunch of skill expecting career grinder guys to develop them. This whole statement seems illogical. 

I've never been to the rink or practice facilities, but I would also question the desire of the kids to get in there and practice. It just doesn't look like they are working on their weaknesses, strength in particular. Our strength/conditioning coaches seem to be more focused on doing band resistance than actually lifting the weights. They seem much more concerned with the conditioning of the kids. 

I'd really like to see the whole thing blown up down there.

[Fortis]

Usually when any aspect/department of an organization is repeatedly underperforming, and changes are not made, upper management is to blame and is replaced

We were supposed to have like the top prospect pool in the NHL for years, but our AHL team is one of the worst in the league. It’s so bad that I think it’s destroying the confidence of players that are NHL ready

[mnfaninnc]

3 hours ago, TCMooch said:

Maybe one of the worst trades for Big Billy Bean. Not a fan of Jiricek and we never should have traded for him. If he couldn't stick on a shit team like the Blue Jackets than I don't understand why we valued him so much.

I disagree with Mooch on this one. What were we buying? A highly drafted prospect with physical traits that cannot be taught and don't get drafted in the 20s. Prospect is the key word here. He was nowhere near a finished product. 

Mooch is right that CBJ sucked. However, he's also behind 6 guys (now 7 with Hunt) who can play at the NHL level making few mistakes. Defense is the last thing to learn with these guys, and the Wild require defensemen to play defense. 

I do not believe this was required of him in the past, and I do think that his instincts defensively are to wipe out an opponent and just cancel them. This is not the system that the Wild play. They don't go for big wipeout hits by defenders, instead they defend by keeping good gaps, stick on puck, blocking shots, and a finesse style of defending that is a liability come playoff time. 

I imagine there is a language barrier to the teaching. We know he can't skate backwards well. But, yet, it's the decision making that keeps us scratching our heads. He doesn't have the passing touch in his own zone, nor the instinct to put the puck where it needs to go. Instead, he's been doing like he always has and has gotten away with it.

Justin is right, development is not linear. I had forgotten about the injury, and had no idea it had impeded his summer development. He was bought as an investment into the future. He wasn't bought to play last year, or maybe even this year. In Columbus, he was good enough to make that team. However, it is pretty obvious that right now, his level is NHL callup, because Bogosian is better. All he can do is work on what we give him to do, but I do feel like there is no reputable defensive coach in Iowa. (this is why I have advocated for a Phil Housley type to be given a defensive coordinator title and to help all over the organization)

So, where I don't agree is that he is a bust and that he was a bad trade. He's not ready yet, I'll agree with that statement, but the larger bodied guys take longer to get their legs and feet going. At some point, this game will slow down for him and then we'll have something. 

[OldDutchChip]

Jiri is a liability every time he is on the ice. Skating, decisions, fumbling the pucks, hockey brain, positioning, etc - all very mediocre. Apart from size - which i am not sure he even uses much  to his benefit - he is just clumsy and immobile.

This is now not a glitch - these are real flaws in his game and he has not shown any improvements. None. He makes Bogosian look like Makar! 

Now Jiri is out for the year. Even with a healthy year, it was going to be a challenge for him to show improvements and now he looses that time to an injury....that won't help him improve on anything.

He is a bust.

[Kato AK]

1 hour ago, OldDutchChip said:

Now Jiri is out for the year. Even with a healthy year, it was going to be a challenge for him to show improvements and now he looses that time to an injury....that won't help him improve on anything.

Where are you getting this info? He is still healthy and on the wild roster.

[OldDutchChip]

29 minutes ago, Kato AK said:

Where are you getting this info? He is still healthy and on the wild roster.

Athletic I thought reported it

[ColoradoWildFan]

The language barrier may be a real issue. I thought Yuroz made a noticable jump when when they put him on the red line. 

[Patrick]

4 hours ago, Fortis said:

Isn’t Iowa prospects and development also the GM’s job?

Good point! I meant you can't blame the players. The organization needs to address it 

[mnfaninnc]

18 hours ago, OldDutchChip said:

Jiri is a liability every time he is on the ice. Skating, decisions, fumbling the pucks, hockey brain, positioning, etc - all very mediocre. Apart from size - which i am not sure he even uses much  to his benefit - he is just clumsy and immobile.

This is now not a glitch - these are real flaws in his game and he has not shown any improvements. None. He makes Bogosian look like Makar! 

Now Jiri is out for the year. Even with a healthy year, it was going to be a challenge for him to show improvements and now he looses that time to an injury....that won't help him improve on anything.

He is a bust.

Works in progress often have the look of bust. He's got a lot of flaws to work on and I can't disagree with any of the points. But, that's what he is, a work in progress. Will he ever put it together? We'll see in a couple of years. 

I do think a lot depends on his desire to work hard. If his attitude is the Addison approach, then we might as well dump him now. But, if he's making concerted efforts to improve, patience is the best path forward. Only the coaching staff knows the truth of this.

[raithis]

22 hours ago, Fortis said:

A #6 overall draft pick defenseman should be able to figure out how to play defense yeah?

When someone is selected doesn't necessarily indicate how ready they are. 

Some are ready to go pretty much right away and some take longer. 

Some players are drafted much higher because of potential. 

Players with potential AND size (like Jiricek) often go really high.  He's also a right shot defenseman on top of that. 

It doesn't mean that he is more ready than the person drafted at #7, though it could easily be argued that Jiricek is better than the player than was drafted at that spot.

[Gavan]

When he welds his natural offensive instincts and skills to prioritize North American breakout routines he will flourish. Being left off his country's Olympic roster hopefully will be the intervention that drives home the consensus that his way isn't working.