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For Blue Jackets, David Jiricek’s skating concerns were enough to trade him
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (55) in action during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Washington. The Capitals won 7-2. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
By Aaron Portzline
Nov 30, 2024
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COLUMBUS, Ohio — It’s rare for a player like David Jiricek — a 21-year-old, right-shot defenseman with a big frame and a big shot — to even land on the trade market, especially a little more than two years after being drafted with the No. 6 pick.
But there are two things to consider in the wake of the Columbus Blue Jackets dealing Jiricek to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman Daemon Hunt and a collection of draft picks, including a conditional first-round pick in next June’s draft:
First, he wasn’t drafted by current Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, so Waddell can evaluate him without wearing the blinders of a general manager who needs his first-round draft picks to work out.
Second, the Blue Jackets would have never taken calls on Jiricek if his skating wasn’t a major concern about his ability to be an impact defenseman in the NHL. It was an issue when he was drafted, but it hasn’t improved much — if at all — in the last 2 1/2 seasons.
Waddell, who engaged in trade talks regarding Jiricek ever since the Blue Jackets sent him back to AHL Cleveland on Nov. 20, wasn’t about to bash the young defenseman on his way out the door. Jiricek, despite his disappointment in returning to the AHL again this season, was always good to deal with, Waddell said.
But it was clear by coach Dean Evason’s usage — the 12 healthy scratches Jiricek endured, the limited minutes he drew when he did dress — that the NHL was seen as a little rich for Jiricek at this stage of his career. And that’s all about his skating.
“I watched him play in Cleveland last (spring) and I thought he played well,” Waddell said. “Training camp didn’t go as well as anybody wanted it to. I can’t say where I had him projected, but it’s a hard league for a 20- or 21-year-old player. It’s tough to come in and have an impact right away.
“And after a couple of years, you have to forget where guys were drafted and just evaluate them.”
The words that are used most often to describe Jiricek’s skating are “awkward” and “clumsy.” Those are not compliments, especially in the modern NHL where defensemen are expected to join the play and keep up with smaller, quicker players.
When Jiricek has the puck on his stick — when he’s determining the direction of the play — his skating is not a concern at all. But when he’s defending, especially when the puck changes direction abruptly, his ability to quickly adjust is not smooth.
The Blue Jackets want their defensemen to join the rush and push the play, which sounds like a perfect fit for Jiricek, given his offensive prowess. But he struggled to be aggressive, most believe because he was so concerned about being out of position when the puck went the other way.
He looked tentative and indecisive, which are death sentences in Evason’s system. In training camp, he was jumped on the depth chart by Jake Christiansen. Once the season started, he was surpassed by Jordan Harris and 37-year-old veteran Jack Johnson.
When the Blue Jackets claimed Dante Fabbro off waivers from the Nashville Predators on Nov. 10, it became that much harder for Jiricek to crack the lineup.
It makes sense for the Wild to take a chance on Jiricek, although a bit surprising that they would spend a first-round pick on an unproven prospect at this juncture. Conventional wisdom says a team like Minnesota, currently one of the best in the NHL, would use that pick as a major chip at the trade deadline.
It’s possible that Jiricek can fix his skating. A different system, one that’s less taxing than Evason’s could help. Continued offseason work by Jiricek could help him become more agile. The passage of time may help, too, as 6-foot-4, 205-pound defensemen, like a puppy, have to grow into their feet.
The Blue Jackets initially asked potential trade partners for one of their top prospects, hoping to make a one-for-one swap. When those players weren’t available, the Blue Jackets adapted their demands for a first-round pick and a depth defenseman.
Waddell spent much of the past 10 days on the phone, but by Saturday he had at least two more teams enter the fray, he said, with offers of a first-round pick and depth defensemen. That demand forced the Wild, who were in hot pursuit of Jiricek from the start, to up the ante, which they did.
The fact that NHL GMs were unwilling to go prospect-for-prospect in a trade for Jiricek could be an indication that they shared the same concerns about his skating. Maybe Waddell was wise to move on Jiricek at this juncture before his inability to crack the NHL became a bigger concern.
The Blue Jackets, in return, received 22-year-old defenseman Daemon Hunt, 6-1 (201), who has played 13 games in two seasons with Minnesota. Evason, who coached the Wild until he was fired last November, coached five games with Hunt in the lineup early last season.
The Jackets also got a first-round pick in 2025, a second-round pick in 2027, and third- and fourth-round picks in 2026. The first-round pick next June is protected in the unlikely event that Minnesota ends up picking in the top 5 of the draft.
The Blue Jackets traveled to Chicago at mid-afternoon Saturday in advance of Sunday’s 3 p.m. game. Waddell didn’t join the flight because he knew the Jiricek trade was coming to a head. He’ll fly later to join the team at the start of a five-game trip.
“It’s a trade we’ve been working on for a while,” Waddell said. “It got to a point this weekend where I thought we were getting fair value and we could say yes.”
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