TJSweens
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Joined: 7/16/2007
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Jiricek was the #6 overall pick in the 2022 draft. He is supposedly 6'4" and 210 lbs and is from Czechia. He has been a good offensive player through the AHL with a cannon slap shot and strong wrister. The things I read make it sound like he was frustrated with the Columbus organization and wanted out. Evason still likes those steady ham and eggers over talent.
Grabbed this from his scouting profile.
Offensively, he’s extremely skilled when it comes to patrolling the blue line, be it at even strength or on the power play. He’s one of the most explosive skaters among defensemen, and while his acceleration needs some work, he’s a hard player to slow down when you factor in his size. His edgework is very good and he also possesses what I believe might be one of the best shots among defensemen in the 2022 draft class. Whether it’s a booming one-timer or a deceptive wrist shot, Jiricek’s point shots typically end up in the back of the net before you can blink.
Defensively, he has elite gap control when it comes to boxing out incoming opponents. He’s incredibly hard to shake off when he’s chasing the puck carrier, and he uses his frame to his advantage. While he’s not a Scott Stevens clone on the back end, he’s certainly not known to shy away from laying a big hit every now and then. Watching him play, I see similarities between Jiricek and Detroit Red Wings star rookie Moritz Seider. Both are right-handed defensemen at roughly the same height and weight, and both can impact the game in just about any aspect
David Jiricek – Draft Projection
To me, the clear-cut top two defensemen in this draft class are Jiricek and Slovakian blueliner Simon Nemec. I don’t think you can go wrong with either, but Nemec likely has the edge, and with the amount of talented forwards at the top end of this draft class, it’s probably a safe bet to say Jiricek goes in the top-10. However, if a team likes what they see enough, it wouldn’t shock me to see him sneak into the top-5.
Quotables
“Mobile defender with good size and a bomb of a shot from the point. Plays a physical brand of hockey and has the potential to contribute in a variety of ways as an NHL defenseman.” -Nick Richard, Dobber Prospects
“Jiříček has good puck tracking ability. He does an excellent job scanning the ice and moving his body around the offensive zone at the same pace as his opponents’ puck movement. The Czech defender reacts quickly to puck movement, if he spots a loose puck coming up the boards towards him, he shifts his hips and knees in a pivot to trap possession of the puck.” -Josh Tessler, Smaht Scouting
“Jiricek is an exceptional two-way defender that shows a strong transition ability. He reads the play so well, playing like a veteran defender well above his age. He regularly shows very impressive reads, noting where players are and correctly attacking or hanging back as needed.” -Josh Bell, FC Hockey
Strengths
Strong two-way game
Physicality
Shooting
Skating and edgework
Gap control
Under Construction – Improvements to Make
Decision making
Accelaration
NHL Potential
Make no mistake, Jiricek has all the tools to become an effective, top-pairing defenseman in the NHL someday. Whether or not he can put those tools to work in North America remains yet to be seen, but assuming he can, he’s got all the skills to carve out a long NHL career.
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