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By now, all Minnesota Wild fans are aware of the shiny new toy in the State of Hockey: defenseman David Jiricek. The Wild paid a hefty price to acquire the No. 6 overall pick from 2022 (and a fifth-round pick), sending Daemon Hunt and a first, second, third, and fourth-rounder to the Columbus Blue Jackets. For that kind of price, it makes sense that fans would expect something special from Jiricek. Will Minnesota get that kind of player? We could discuss his limited NHL track record, his shining performance in the 2023 World Junior Championships, or his extensive pro experience in Czechia and the AHL. But that does not quite convey the experience of watching him play regularly. Fortunately, Jiricek has been on the radar long before 2022. He debuted in the Czechia Extraliga -- the country's highest pro level -- on January 26, 2020, barely two months after turning 16. Jiricek has had scouts' attention for a while, but how have their opinions developed alongside Jiricek through the years? Let's track it in four phases, starting with... 2021: On the Rise We first see Jiricek's name cropping up, at least on public scouting reports, in the back half of 2021. Early prognosticators of the 2022 Draft seemed to have Jircek as a consensus top-15 pick. NHLEntryDraft.com even had him going to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their early mock draft. Great job! Their report? The Czech rearguard is a two-way presence that skates very well for his size, showing a promising ability to break up plays, control the rush, or turn the puck up the other way. At the end of September 2021, Bob McKenzie of TSN released his 2022 draft list, and Jiricek debuted at No. 10. Jiricek is viewed as a throwback, hard-rock shutdown defensive defenceman, an ultra-aggressive big hitter with a mean streak who is a strong skater. Scouts love all that bite but are still debating his offensive ceiling/limitations. Though released much later to the public, Elite Prospects had been monitoring him in April 2021. David St-Louis wrote of him during the Under-18 Worlds: He kills rushes with backward skating and has some lateral mobility. He is physical. Very. Finishes every check.... He's an interesting player for sure. Just six months later, Jiricek made a much bigger impression on St-Louis. From October 2021 in Extraliga: Jiříček is going high in the draft. His tools clearly project as above-average (he’s a 6-foot-3, mobile, righty), and he cares about the defensive game... he can match shifty attackers with his four-way mobility. He is also physical, able to pin even pro attackers already. Impressive. So, at this time, Jiricek is seen as a big, mobile defender with upside as a shutdown defender. Then the offense starts coming. He scored five goals and 11 points in 29 games at Extraliga. Those don't sound like huge numbers. Still, no one has ever come close, before or since, to that kind of production for a draft-eligible defenseman in the Czech league. A big part of that came from him pushing the tempo as often as humanly possible. Wrote Elite Prospects' Mitchell Brown in an October 2021 scouting report: "I like how he doesn’t just make the simple play once he gets the puck. He beats defenders, looks for teammates cross-ice, and uses space before shooting." EP colleague J.D. Burke agreed at the time, saying, "[He] doesn’t connect on a lot of his plays -- the stretch passes, the activations off of the blue line and the deceptive feeds into the slot, and the pacey efforts to move the puck – but he’s trying them, and that counts for a lot." While noting that Jiricek "could be a pain in the ass on NHL ice" someday, Josh Tessler of SmahtScouting gave a lot of love to the rugged defenseman's surprisingly crafty hands. "Jiříček has excellent timing at cradling the puck and uses his elusive stick-handling ability to maintain possession of the puck for his team to keep the offensive momentum alive." Jiricek's star would only rise from there. 2022: Draft Day For almost every NHL player, draft day is the high-water mark of your potential. No one's seen you play North American pro hockey. You can be anything -- an All-Star or a Hall of Famer. Heck, you can even be an all-time great soccer player. The hype train runs wild, the superlatives fly, and we all lose our minds a bit. And at this point, Jiricek's potential is through the roof. After the Blue Jackets drafted him, his agent pegged him as Shea Weber, and his Czech teammate, former NHL defenseman Jakub Kindl, compared him to Aaron Ekblad, the former No. 1 overall pick and Calder Trophy winner. Scouts weren't rushing to disagree, either. Even the normally conservative Corey Pronman believed he was most similar to three-time All-Star Alex Pietrangelo (No. 4 overall in 2008) as a prospect. There were only two opinions about Jiricek leading up to the draft: You loved him, or you looooooved him. No major outlets had him outside the top-10 of his class, and few had him out of the top-five. Here's the accompanying scouting report from Scott Wheeler, who merely loved Jiricek, ranking him sixth in his final 2022 Draft ranking: [He has] one of — if not the — hardest point shots in the draft. It’s a bomb, and he does a really good job keeping it on target and a few feet off the ice... he’s a confident, active, engaged three-zone player who has all of the tools you look for in a top defender. As he continues to smooth out and polish his game, it’s hard to imagine he doesn’t become, at the very least, a top-four guy. And that's from a comparatively tepid perspective. Sam McGilligan (from scouting publication McKeen's Hockey, whom a young Judd Brackett wrote for) was over the moon for him. For me, Jiricek stands out as such a unique player that you can't find anywhere in the draft. If I go back another year, I still can't find someone like him. He's a bit of a unicorn. The obvious draw to Jiricek's game becomes crystal clear after just a few minutes of watching him -- his unprecedented aggression.... Calculated aggression means constantly applying pressure to the opponent, forcing fast decisions to avoid being smashed by the Czech freight train. And if that seems like a lot, Elite Prospects might have been even higher. The outlet ranked him second overall in his draft class and in the top five of several skills, including: Best Defensive Defenseman (first) Best Neutral Zone Defender (first) Highest Floor (second) Best Offensive Defenseman (third) Hardest Hitter (third) Best Transition Defenseman (fourth) Highest Ceiling (fifth) EP's player comparable was Moritz Seider, who also won the Calder Trophy. Their ultimate conclusion? There’s a durable defensive foundation in place that will carry him to a top-four role at a bare minimum, even if his play with the puck doesn’t come along for the ride... You’re looking at a 6-foot-3, right-shot defenceman who can do just about everything at a low-end top-pairing level through the height of his career. But unlike most players, Jiricek's high-water mark as a prospect wasn't the draft. 2023: Top Of the Worlds Jiricek could go directly to the AHL for his first season after being drafted, a luxury not afforded to many players in the first year after their draft. But already a seasoned pro at age-18, Jiricek could seamlessly handle the transition to North American hockey. He set the record for most AHL points for a defenseman in their Draft+1 season, piling up 38 in 55 games. It was an impressive campaign, topped off by a dominant Under-20 World Junior tournament. The goal above helped Team Czechia to the Gold Medal Game against Canada (where they lost in OT), earning their first medal at the U-20 tournament since 2005. Jiricek was especially dominant, scoring three goals (on 30 shots, ranking sixth-most among all players) and seven points in his seven games. Jiricek had a plus/minus of +10, getting tagged with just one minus on the tournament. He was the obvious pick for Best Defenseman of the 2023 World Juniors. Jiricek faced players already having massive success in the NHL: Connor Bedard, Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, Logan Stankoven, Luke Hughes, and more. He not only acquitted himself, but the data shows that Jiricek was an absolute beast in all three zones. Wrote EP's Lassi Alanen after the tournament: He was a commanding factor both offensively and defensively. He had the highest shot volume in the entire tournament, forwards included, and also set up scoring chances at an above-average rate. Defensively, he killed plays both in in-zone setting and while defending against the rush. At The Athletic, Wheeler ranked him as the ninth-best prospect that summer, with Pronman tagging him as the 20th-best Under-23 player/prospect in the NHL. Pronman had him eighth among defensemen behind Rasmus Dahlin, Seider, Owen Power, Noah Dobson, Jake Sanderson, Hughes, and Bowen Byram. "Jiricek has been one of the most impactful teenage defensemen I’ve seen in the AHL in recent years," declared Pronman. "He’s showing a whole other level of offense this season.... Everything, except for his footspeed, points to a big minutes NHL defenseman. EP was still massively high on him, ranking him as their seventh-best NHL prospect, and top defenseman. "When he steps on the ice, the game belongs to him," their profile read. Hard to beat that. There was just one group that wasn't so all-in on Jiricek... 2024: The Struggle (Colum)Bus Jiricek's path to Minnesota started in 2024, though no one knew it then. The top young defenseman made his displeasure known after Columbus sent him down to the AHL in January. “I played good hockey in the NHL," he said. "I’m an NHL player right now. That’s my opinion, that I should be in the NHL right now." Jarmo Kekäläinen (who Jiricek outlasted in Columbus, for what it's worth) might have seen it differently, but plenty of scouts took the player's side. Sportsnet's Jason Bukala went scorched-earth on Columbus' management: The Blue Jackets seem to forget what they have in this prospect. Jiricek can beat goalies at any level with a clapper or snap shot from range. He’s a power play threat waiting to happen. He has always produced offence along every stop in his development. St-Louis re-entered the picture to lend his support: "At the very least, Jiříček looks like an NHL player," he wrote. "His confidence knows no bounds. He plays the same creative and hyper-aggressive game in the NHL as he did in the AHL last season, in the Czech league before that, and in his junior days. That’s a massive positive for his development, as he’s constantly testing his limits and pushing them, becoming more and more skilled as he advances in levels." And that's perhaps where the core of the conflict lay between Jiricek and the Blue Jackets. Maximizing Jiricek means allowing him to play a high-risk style. But when he messes up, it's more dangerous than it might be for other players. St.-Louis explains why: Most daring defencemen usually have the skating ability to repair their mistakes.... Jiříček doesn’t have that kind of safety net, that recovery ability. Either [his daring plays] work spectacularly or they fail in the same fashion. And it’s the same defensively. The failure to launch, it turns out, brutally affected his stock with the Columbus organization. However, it didn't fully take the bloom off the rose outside of it. Pronman downgraded Jiricek on his U-23 rankings before the season from 20th to a still-strong 47th: The long-term projection on Jiricek remains promising given his toolkit. I like his defensive edge and thought he showed he could be a great two-way player at other levels. His feet aren't the best and he struggled adapting to the NHL pace.... With time I think he'll be an all-situations top-four defenseman. But, like with many players, the hype dies down eventually, and the NHL starts to reveal warts in one's game. After a vigorous defense of Jiricek in January, Bukala was a bit more muted in his assessment on November 18: As much as I appreciate what Jiricek can produce offensively he also needs to provide better-than-average defensive detail to find a regular role at the NHL level. St-Louis' scouting report from November 29 also puts his weaknesses into greater focus: A weakness even in his draft year, Jiříček’s skating hasn’t improved over the past few seasons. While he can speed up the ice to catch up to the play... his pivots lack fluidity. His decision-making with the puck and defensive awareness have been equally problematic. Of course, St-Louis points out that there's still a ton to like: Despite his ever-present weaknesses, Jiříček remains one of those rare right-shot defencemen capable of tilting the ice for his team. And, of course, in Minnesota, there's really one scout whose opinion matters most: Brackett. And the Wild's head scout is sold on him. "David Jiricek still has some things to work on, obviously," e told The Athletic's Michael Russo. "[But] he wants the puck.... He has an ability to get into spots where he can utilize it and support the rush. He plays definitive in his D zone." Brackett also provided immediate optimism by going on the record with his belief that his skating won't be the limiting factor as Columbus thought. "He is an average skater, but it’s good enough," he assured Russo. "You’re not going to look at him and go, ‘Oh, jeez!’ It’s good enough." Now that everyone has weighed in, and the Wild put their money where their mouths were, it's time to start seeing if Jiricek can live up to the faith so many have had in him throughout the years.

By the time Saturday's Minnesota Wild game starts, the team will have heisted No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daemon Hunt, the Wild's most NHL-ready defense prospect, will be sent the other way along with a first-round pick in 2025, a third in 2026, a second in 2027, and a pick swap, per Michael Russo. The move doesn't come as a surprise, it's been in the ether for the last week. But now we know it's happening, we know the Wild beat out the other offers, and we know the hit to Minnesota's prospect capital. Having seen it all laid out, this is a decisive win for Bill Guerin and his front office. Should the Wild unlock his potential, they have the final missing piece to their youth movement. The Wild's under-25 movement was strong as hell earlier this week, having nearly everything a good, growing team needs. A star winger? Check, there's Matt Boldy. A potential (current?) No. 1 center? Hello, Marco Rossi. A guaranteed, bedrock top-pair defenseman? There's Brock Faber, right there. High-upside forward prospects? Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt have entered the chat. A bonafide power play quarterback that's nearly NHL-ready? That's what drafting Zeev Buium was for. A goalie of the future? We all know about Jesper Wallstedt The only question -- other than whether the Yurovs, Heidts, and Buiums would pan out -- was their defensive depth beyond Faber and Buium. The Wild had invested heavily in defense prospects at the 2020 and 2022 Drafts, spending top-70 picks on Ryan O'Rourke, Hunt, Carson Lambos, and Jack Peart. Despite the investment, only Hunt trended as NHL-ready in the near future. Beyond that, Minnesota wasn't able to land their Owen Power, Jake Sanderson, or Moritz Seider-type defenseman -- a defenseman with premium size and a top-four-caliber skill set. They'd also struggled to backfill the right side of the defense past Faber, with David Spacek being their only top right-shot defenseman. That's why Minnesota gave up three assets to get Jiricek. At 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, he brings beef, skill, and a right-shot to the next generation of Wild players. As soon as the end of the season, the Wild could theoretically ice a starting lineup that includes: Yurov - Rossi - Boldy Buium - Jiricek Wallstedt That's a tantalizing collection of young talent, even before realizing that the Wild would have Faber in the back. And Faber with those two makes Minnesota a potential defensive powerhouse for years to come. The collection of pure, raw talent on the Wild blueline is now at incredible levels. Before the season, Corey Pronman released his rankings of Under-23 players and prospects. Buium slotted in at No. 16 (sixth among defensemen), Faber at No. 35 (11th among d-men), and Jiricek 47th (17th among d-men). Only the New Jersey Devils -- with Luke Hughes, Anton Silayev, and Simon Nemec -- rival that quantity of high-upside defense talent. But it's even better. Again, Jiricek gives Minnesota more talent and a diversity of skills. Here's the elevator pitch on all three of those top names, per Pronman: Buium: He is an extremely intelligent puck-mover who can run a power play like a top NHL player. He makes high-end plays routinely and can break shifts open with his puckhandling and passes. Faber: His excellent skating, gap work and compete have helped him become a great defender who kills a lot of plays, but the offense he showed this season was a pleasant surprise. Jiricek: He's very skilled, especially for a big man, and combined with a strong point shot, he should provide offense in the NHL. I like his defensive edge and thought he showed he could be a great two-way player at other levels. There's some overlap, but Minnesota now has three defensemen who fill three vital roles. The bloom has fallen ever-so-slightly off the rose with Jiricek, but Pronman's player comparable for him in 2022 was Alex Pietrangelo -- massive praise from the usually conservative draft analyst. Leading up to the 2024 Draft, Pronman tabbed Buium as a young Morgan Rielly. Faber has been a right-shot Jonas Brodin with surprising offensive chops. That sort of well-rounded blueline is hard to find, even among elite NHL clubs. As for the price, it's a big "Who cares?" from Minnesota's perspective. Hunt's future was likely as a third-pairing defenseman who could crack the top-4 in a pinch. The Wild's 2025 first-round pick is trending to be in the 20s, and perhaps the late-20s. Even if Minnesota would hit on that pick, it likely wouldn't have the upside of Jiricek and a much longer timetable to get a return on investment. A third-rounder in 2026 or second in 2027 is downright negligible. More importantly: the Wild got this deal done without sacrificing their forward depth, particularly NHL-ready, middle-six winger Liam Öhgren, who brings skill and physicality to the pool that would be hard for Minnesota to replace. They get a huge boost in near-term upside without sacrificing anything for the 2025 season when the Wild's Cup ambitions truly begin. Minnesota will need to unlock Jiricek's potential in a way that Columbus couldn't do, but the reward in acquiring Jiricek vastly outweighs the risk.

Recent sixth-round picks rarely become available via the trade market, particularly when the rebuilding team is shopping that player around. And yet, that's exactly where the Columbus Blue Jackets find themselves this Black Friday. Suddenly, they're shopping their 2022 6th overall pick, defenseman David Jiricek, at a supposed bargain. The Wild find themselves smack dab as the purported front-runner in the middle of every rumor. The reasons are well-exhausted if you’ve been following along the past week. Tony Abbott explained why Columbus was shopping Jircek a few days ago. The Blue Jackets don’t think his game is where it needs to be defensively to be a regular NHLer. However, Jiricek and his camp believe the young Czechian is ready to graduate from the AHL, which he has dominated. The standstill has led to what seems to be an unrepairable situation, and Columbus is attempting to recoup a bit on its investment in Jiricek, who recently turned 21. Compensation for right-handed defensemen seems to have also dropped recently. No team has stepped up to offer a prized prospect in return. For those reasons, the Wild and their deep pool of second-tier prospects have emerged as a leading candidate. For those same reasons, Minnesota's front office should view this potential trade as a no-brainer. We aren’t going to get into the potential compensation for Jiricek here -- Tony covered that in his piece. The consensus is that no trade would involve the Wild’s top prospects in Jesper Wallstedt, Danila Yurov, or Zeev Buium. That’s all I need to hear to pound the table for general manager Bill Guerin to execute a deal. It makes too much sense. The Wild sorely lack a big, mobile, offensive-minded right-handed defenseman on the cusp of becoming an everyday NHLer in their prospect pool. But it’s more than that. Outside of Jiricek's value dropping like the smoker you've had your eye on this Black Friday or his fit in the Wild prospect makeup, the short- and long-term value makes Jiricek a perfect fit for the Minnesota Wild. Remember, Guerin is in Year 2 of the five-year plan he proposed last summer to his boss and owner, Craig Leopold. He designed the plan to ice a perennial Stanley Cup contender in that window and give the Wild a shot at bringing their first championship to St. Paul. Much of that plan hinges on Guerin’s ability to re-sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov to an extension. However, Minnesota also needs improvements around the edges of its roster. I know it seems odd the Wild would be looking to improve upon a defensive core that already ranks among the best in the NHL in nearly every metric. But in this case, it’s about more than bolstering a strength. It's about insulating your aging core and contributing veterans to the ice, not only the best defensive core in hockey in the short and long term. Captain Jared Spurgeon turned 35 today. While the Wild will undoubtedly immortalize his name and number in the Xcel Energy Center rafters once his playing days are over, he still has two years remaining on his contract following this season. Spurgeon continues to play as though he’s still 25. However, his recent injury history is concerning. He’s missed 117 games in the past four seasons and another handful earlier this year. He’s been honest about his recovery from hip and knee surgeries last season, admitting he would require “daily maintenance throughout the 2024-25 season.” That’s not the sign of an aging veteran turning back the clock. Spurgeon remains an elite defender when he's in the lineup, but the Wild need an in-house solution to protect the last few seasons of Spurgeon’s $7.6 million contract. Brock Faber is the natural answer, but only part of it. The Wild thrive on having the best top-four blue-line unit in the NHL. It’s a large reason they are among the best teams in suppressing expected goals every year. Removing Spurgeon from the equation eliminates their greatest strength and weakens the identity of their team. Do you remember how last season turned out? Bringing in Jiricek now would give the Wild the insurance they desperately need in the short term. Yes, Jiricek is not the same player Spurgeon is, but he would still fit perfectly into the top four due to his handedness and a style of play that would mesh perfectly with the rest of the unit should Spurgeon miss time in the next few years. Right now, when fully healthy, the Wild’s blue line pairs up as follows: Jake Middleton – Faber Jonas Brodin – Spurgeon Jon Merrill – Zach Bogosian Should Spurgeon’s injury history take him out of the lineup for significant time, having Jiricek available would enable the Wild to avoid elevating their third pair into roles outside their skillset. Instead, the Wild could slot Jiricek alongside Brodin, the league's best defensive-minded defenseman. Not only would Jiricek be able to learn from the best, but he would also be free to do what he does best in providing elite offense from the blue line. Jiricek could give the Wild short-term options should their aging captain miss time. At this point, it seems more when than if. But what about the long-term vision for Jiricek? How would he fit into this lineup when the Wild are competing for a Stanley Cup in the final year or two of their five-year plan? Suppose Jiricek reaches his potential as a dominant offensive defenseman with the size to defend adequately. How would their defensive core look with the near arrival of the similarly offensively-inclined Buium? Jiricek could be the missing piece in a young core who all could be elevated into larger roles as their veterans slide back into less prominent roles better suited for their age. Imagine the Wild in the final year of Spurgeon’s contract, hopefully with Kaprizov inked to a long-term deal to anchor the forward group and the defensive core below: Buium – Faber Brodin – Jiricek Middleton – Spurgeon A lot could change between now and then, not only in health but also in the development of these young defensemen. But this is why you draft well, as the Wild have done in the Guerin era. Not only to accumulate young talent for your roster but also to take swings at trades that have the potential to secure your blue line as perhaps the most dominant group in the entire NHL for years to come. Trading for Jiricek now while his value is at its lowest could be the perfect bargain-bin gamble the Wild need to boost them into contention during the next few years. And the Wild find themselves at the front of the line, standing in the cold and waiting for the Blue Jackets to open the door.

It's never too early in the season for trade rumors, and the Minnesota Wild rarely get through the early part of the season without activity. Since Bill Guerin took over as general manager, he's been proactive at fixing holes on his roster, trading for Ian Cole, Ryan Reaves, and Zach Bogosian in the first two months of the season. So where there are trade rumors, there's the Minnesota Wild, and it looks like the Wild are circling around defenseman David Jiricek, whom the Columbus Blue Jackets are looking to trade. This isn't the first time the Wild have been connected to the former No. 6 overall pick, but the smoke surrounding the hot stove is finally heating up. National reporters like Frank Seravelli and local beat writers like Michael Russo are backing up the idea that the Wild are in. Again, this isn't the first time there's been buzz about this possibility. But that was then, and this is now. The Blue Jackets have changed their general manager and coach since then, and while, say, someone like Kent Johnson has thrived with a second chance, Jiricek has fallen out of favor with a second regime. He turns 21 on Thanksgiving, and for now, he's as much of a Cleveland Monster as he is a Columbus Blue Jacket. It's a bit young for this label, but the former top pick is officially a post-hype player. So, what would Minnesota get in today's version of Jircek, and is the juice worth the squeeze? Unsurprisingly for a player whose team is rushing two years removed from their draft, Jiricek doesn't have much track record in the NHL to speak on. In his 53 career NHL games, the former top pick has cost Columbus 1.6 Standings Points Above Replacement, struggling offensively and defensively at 5-on-5. That's not to dunk on Jiricek -- it's hardly a crime to not be NHL-ready in your age-19 season, as he was last year. However, the source of friction is Jiricek's public displeasure with being in the AHL. If Minnesota trades for him, they need to be ready to keep him in the NHL because chances are he won't enjoy Des Moines much more than Cleveland. To be fair, if Jiricek believes himself to be too good for the AHL, he has a point. Through 86 games for Cleveland, he has 14 goals and 59 points as a defenseman. Those are exceptional numbers for a player his age. He also thrived during the Calder Cup Playoffs, scoring three goals and 11 points in 14 games. Purely from a points perspective, Jiricek's trajectory is promising. But as Dean Evason told The Athletic, "We know his offensive side." So what's the problem? So far, it's been his footspeed. The Athletic's Scott Wheeler wrote about him last season, saying, "He moves his feet well for his size, though I do worry about his stilted backward skating and how often he gets caught flat-footed against the rush... He's a better skater going forward than backward." Ask, say, Jonas Brodin, and you'll find out how important skating backward is. Though, if you're the Wild, that's probably the source of optimism that Jiricek can be fixed. Wild skating coach Andy Ness has a guru reputation and successes to show for it in players like Marco Rossi. If Ness can work his magic on Jiricek, then Minnesota would have a big, right-shot defenseman with high-end offensive skills on their hand, and that's something that any team could use. So, the question becomes: What are (or should) the Wild be willing to give up for him? There may have been a time when acquiring Jiricek might have cost another former top pick in Rossi. That's almost certainly not the case today. Whatever the Wild feel about Rossi, he's a center who has 17 points in 21 games. No team is trading that for an AHL defenseman who is clearly out of favor with their club. It might not even cost a (current) top prospect. TSN's Chris Johnston reported that the Jackets will "start to listen" about draft pick compensation. However, the Wild can give Columbus immediate -- or near-immediate help, which is a value-add over a team like the Pittsburgh Penguins. Who makes sense? It feels difficult to think Minnesota would part with their top prospects at forward, defense, and goaltender, so Danila Yurov, Zeev Buium, and Jesper Wallstedt would be out. Going to that next tier of prospect would lead us to Riley Heidt and Liam Öhgren. Heidt is interesting as a potential center prospect, but with Adam Fantilli and Cayden Lindstrom in Columbus' Under-21 pool, Heidt's destination would likely be the wing. If that's the case, then the 5-foot-10 forward would have competition in top short king winger prospects in 5-foot-8 Gavin Brindley and 5-foot-9 Jordan Dumais. Öhgren probably makes the most sense in a one-for-one swap for a few reasons. For one, teams like to save face in these types of prospect-for-prospect trades. Look at the Winnipeg Jets with Rutger McGroarty, who they traded for the Pittsburgh Penguins' Brayden Yager -- both players being forwards drafted No. 14 overall. Öhgren wasn't a top-10 draft pick, but he has a first-round pedigree from the same draft. It's not equal value, but it's something. The other reason Öhgren might be appealing is that there isn't a one-to-one comparable to him in Columbus' system. The Jackets' wing prospects are either small or have major flaws with their skating. Öhgren doesn't have either problem, and his presence as a player who combines physicality and skill should appeal to someone like Dean Evason. But maybe Columbus would want a defenseman to refill their pool. While there aren't any Jiricek's in Minnesota's system (assuming Buium is off the table), there are plenty of intriguing names. David Spacek is a right-shot defenseman riding a five-game point streak and has two goals and nine points in his second pro season. Daemon Hunt is widely considered to be NHL-ready. The drop-off in pedigree would likely mean a draft pick would have to come into play, but a lottery-protected first-rounder in 2025 seems like a reasonable thing to sweeten the deal. Jiricek has his red flags, but his skill set makes for a smart buy-low on a caliber of prospect that is difficult to come by. His physical stature also would lend a strong balance for an up-and-coming blueline that lacks sheer beefiness. If the Wild can wrest him away for the right price,