By Kalisha Turnipseed -
The Minnesota Wild are thinking about trading Marco Rossi, and the Columbus Blue Jackets need a center. David Jiricek feels like a natural trade target because he could use a change of scenery. Jiricek would bring another element of offense to the Wild’s power play that can use scoring depth.
He’s a 6-foot-4, 207 lbs. right-shot defenseman with a cannon of a shot that he can use on the power play like Alex Ovechkin and Steven Stamkos. However, that makes Jirick unique as a defenseman. He can eventually develop into the player Brent Burns was with the Wild, creating a dynamic right-side duo with Brock Faber. Trading Rossi to upgrade the right side is worth it.
Columbus drafted Jiricek sixth overall in 2022. He was already touted as a top-ten draft pick, along with a monster slapshot from the point. He’s a physical, stay-at-home defenseman who can play in all situations of the game.
However, Jiricek is off to a slow start to his NHL career. He has 10 points in 44 career games played, with only one goal to show for it. He’s mostly played for the Jackets’ AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, where he has 55 points in 81 career games played. How does a top defensive prospect only score one NHL goal? Jiricek has averaged 14:55 Time On Ice (TOI) in 44 games for the Jackets without playing on special teams, especially the power play.
The Jackets are currently giving Jiricek the Adam Beckman treatment. However, unlike Beckman, Jiricek is making his voice heard. While Jiricek may come off as “whining,” he has his reasons for calling out Columbus’ management. How would you feel if you were told to get an apartment in Minneapolis or St. Paul during the preseason, only to get sent to Des Moines instead to play regular minutes? Would you stay silent or speak your mind?
Don’t be fooled by Jiricek's NHL stats. He's scoring 0.23 points, playing nearly 15 minutes a night without time on the power play. You double the minutes he's playing, and he's scoring 0.46 points, which is 38 points. However, if you add in regular power play minutes, his stats can easily increase by 20 points, which would mean he’s scratching the surface of 60 points. Sure, he's not going to be playing 30 minutes a night. However, once you change his surroundings, he can likely perform better, including having a defensive partner who can help improve his defensive game.
Jiricek sounds like a promising young talent to play alongside Jake Middleton, creating an intimidating pairing. Jiricek can be an offensive defenseman because Middleton knows how to defend his own end with consistency. Jiricek can have some consistency issues defensively, especially when he tries to be too physical on defense, which sounds like Matt Dumba. However, Jiricek's defensive game isn't as flawed as Dumba's. He’ll improve as his game matures. Playing with Middleton helps. His confidence can translate to the power play.
Jiricek can play the point on the powerplay or in Ovechkin's office. He isn't Calen Addison. While Addison is a better skater than Jiricek, he isn’t 6-foot-4 with a powerful slapshot. Jiricek, 20, has the rest of his career to add weight. Eventually, he can fill out anywhere between 220 to 230 lbs. in his prime. If Guerin wants to improve size, this is where he starts.
Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt could end up on the second power play. There's a role for Yurov and Heidt to be the unit's facilitators because the Wild drafted them to move the puck with the man advantage. That gives Jiricek the ultimate chance to put a lot of fear into opposing goalies. The Wild will set him up as the primary goal scorer on the power play. Jiricek could easily produce 15+ goals on the power play.
Heidt, Yurov, and Jiricek can rotate around the perimeter, creating chaos for opposing shorthanded teams. Jiricek's role can change since he knows how to handle the puck, making him more unpredictable. Jiricek can transition the puck up the ice to set up the zone entry, with either Yurov or Heidt carrying the puck.
The Wild could experiment with Jirick by giving him up to 20 minutes of ice time, including power play time. That’s enough exposure to see what the Wild got in him while allowing him to play a secondary role. Easing prospects into a secondary role prepares them for a primary role. However, Faber is the top defenseman, so Jiricek won’t face too much pressure in Minnesota. Jiricek will need to use his size to be effective playing 20 minutes a night for the Wild.
Jiricek can motivate Faber to improve from his rookie season. Faber has been the heart of the Wild's defense. His determination and ambition can help elevate the Wild when they need it most, but now there's help for him. More help means more motivation to be effective playing in your designated role. Faber gets to continue his dominance in the NHL, and Jiricek can learn from him. That’s how you build an elite right side.
It would be a bummer to see Rossi leave, but we must stop getting attached to prospects if we can upgrade from them. Rossi will never grow to be 6-foot-4. He won’t have a sudden growth spurt like Matt Boldy. He's also not going to overpower anybody. Jiricek has the frame to overpower opponents due to his size. He can learn from Bogosian and adapt how he throws his body around. Jiricek isn't as scrappy as Bogosian, but he can definitely initiate a donnybrook due to his size. Someone will respond; he’s 20 and will answer the bell. Jiricek isn’t a great skater, but his skating resembles Middleton's, so he’ll be fine.
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