ST. PAUL, Minn. — With half a dozen groups swarming round Don Waddell making an attempt to land a 6-foot-4 right-shot defenseman who went sixth in 2022 and was named the Finest Defenseman within the World Junior Championship two years in the past, Invoice Guerin needed to up the ante for Columbus Blue Jackets prospect David Jiricek on Saturday — a 21-year-old participant he has lengthy coveted and albeit had been making an attempt to get for weeks.
It sounds just like the Minnesota Wild president of hockey operations and basic supervisor had already supplied the Blue Jackets blue-line prospect Daemon Hunt and a minimum of a first-round choose and a second-round choose.
Was Jiricek actually value including a third- and fourth-round choose on prime of that haul?
However whenever you have a look at the low proportion of mid-round picks that make an influence within the NHL coupled with the very fact the Wild’s prospect cabinet is stuffed and their NHL roster is occupied by numerous gamers with time period on their contracts, Guerin was not about to carry up the deal — or worse, damage it — as a result of he wouldn’t tack on a 3rd and fourth.
Ultimately, he determined the additional picks have been window dressing.
So Saturday afternoon, the Wild landed Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round choose for Hunt, a top-five protected 2025 first-round choose and a future second-, third- and fourth-round choose.
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Guerin referred to as the value paid for Jiricek a “no-brainer.” In his plan to construct the Wild right into a contender, they’re on the stage the place Guerin feels he can use prospects and draft picks as forex.
“It simply made sense,” Guerin mentioned. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we will put money into. And we did. That’s how I have a look at it. It’s an funding. … Each particular person on our employees, from the novice guys who adopted him to professional guys, needed to do that deal.”
Jiricek performed six video games for Columbus this season and was scratched 12 occasions earlier than being assigned to Cleveland, the place he scored two targets — together with an additional time winner — and an help in 4 video games. The Wild assigned him to Iowa on Saturday, nevertheless it feels like he’ll be recalled within the subsequent few days with defenseman Jonas Brodin injured.
David Jiricek with the OT game-winner! What a aim… @DavidJiricek @OctagonHockey pic.twitter.com/vRW3MoK2z8
— Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) November 24, 2024
Head scouts hate giving up draft picks, particularly first-rounders. The satisfaction of pulling levers on draft picks and seeing them finally make impacts is what motivates them to scour the world for hockey gamers.
Judd Brackett, the Wild’s director of novice scouting, was in Saginaw, Mich., on Saturday night time doing simply that. However discussing the load of picks the Wild must hand over with Guerin on Saturday, Brackett nonetheless felt like the value was value it.
A Wild win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night time would imply the Wild would tie the Winnipeg Jets for probably the most factors within the NHL.
The place the Wild go from right here is to be decided, however as of now, it seems just like the Wild would choose within the mid-to-late 20s within the 2025 draft.
A participant of Jiricek’s pedigree wouldn’t be there.
“Having to surrender a primary all the time stings, however an indication of any good commerce is that each groups are giving up one thing that stings a bit of bit because it goes the opposite method,” Brackett mentioned. “First-round picks are one thing that we covet, however the alternative for a participant that was drafted sixth general that we actually preferred in his draft 12 months and love now, it makes all of the sense on the planet.
“We’re nearly at Christmas. We’ve received a grasp on this 12 months’s draft, so we’ve got a bit of little bit of a way of what a mid-20s choose will appear to be this 12 months versus years previous. David Jiricek nonetheless has some issues to work on, clearly, as he transitions to enjoying professional hockey in North America. However it’s actually onerous to get these kind of gamers.
“Six-foot-4, right-shot defenseman that was two years in the past the World Junior Defenseman of the match.”
Waddell, Guerin’s Blue Jackets counterpart and as soon as a finalist for the Wild’s GM put up earlier than he pulled out to stay together with his earlier employer, the Carolina Hurricanes, mentioned, “A few extra groups stepped up and made issues fascinating. Minnesota has been sizzling since day one. I used to be in fixed contact with them, and Billy is a good friend of mine. However he understands that I’ve received to do what’s greatest for the Blue Jackets. I used to be in no hurry to do that. He saved poking daily, making an attempt to see the place we have been. We talked a few occasions (Saturday) and there have been a few (picks) he improved, till I mentioned, ‘OK, that’s truthful.’”
Brackett feels Guerin is constructing the Wild the fitting method.
“Proper now, when you have a look at the Wild, beneath 22 on the again finish, you’re (Brock) Faber, Jiricek, (Zeev) Buium and (goalie Jesper) Wallstedt on that aim line,” Brackett mentioned. “That’s a reasonably robust solution to construct not only for present success however long-term, too.
“In my eyes from a scouting director’s standpoint, we’ve got 4 top-10 picks exterior the NHL proper now between Wallstedt, Buium — I feel Buium is a top-10 choose all day lengthy — Yurov and Jiricek. For those who do redrafts, we imagine they carry top-10 worth from their draft years.
“That’s with a roster that already options (Matt) Boldy and (Kirill) Kaprizov and Faber.”
So why was Jiricek so sought by the Wild because it plans for life after Jared Spurgeon when his contract expires after the 2026-27 season?
“The aggressiveness he performs with, the assertiveness,” Brackett mentioned. “He desires the puck. He owns a very huge shot. Like, he has an absolute bomb. He has a capability to get into spots the place he can put it to use and help the frenzy. He performs definitive in his D zone. You’ll see, regardless that he’s 6-4, he’s nonetheless a bit of gangly and rangy. He’s nonetheless received some room to fill out being 21.
“However the aggressive nature of him as an entire is interesting. That World Junior Czech staff was superb, and he was the largest cause why.”
(Courtesy Byron Bader / Hockey Prospecting)
There’s little doubt Jiricek wanted a change of surroundings in Columbus. He burst onto the scene in 2022-23 and scored 38 factors in 55 video games within the AHL — a league that’s typically unkind to youngsters.
However three teaching staffs in Columbus clearly felt he wasn’t but NHL-ready.
“We’ll see what kind of duties he will get on the ice, whether or not it’s energy play or no energy play,” Guerin mentioned. “We’ll see how he kills penalties and issues like that. I feel it’s going to take us a short while to get him on top of things right here. There’s loads for him to study. And we’re gonna attempt to assist him alongside and transfer him alongside.”
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Portzline: David Jiricek’s skating concerns were enough for Blue Jackets to trade him
Jiricek’s largest weak spot is claimed to be his skating. His crossovers, particularly, don’t appear pure.
“He’s a mean skater, nevertheless it’s ok,” Brackett mentioned. “You’re not going to take a look at him and go, ‘Oh, jeez!’ It’s ok. And as he will get older and will get an increasing number of of man power, I feel it’ll be positive. It wasn’t a problem in his draft 12 months. It was a bit of little bit of strength-related. However, if there’s an space that’s behind, I’d agree his talent, his compete, his hockey sense are all higher than his skating.”
Hunt, who was pulled off the ice earlier than the Iowa Wild confronted Charlotte on Saturday, was basically boxed out in Minnesota. The Wild felt he was NHL-ready, however they’ve seven defensemen on the roster. However sooner or later, the Wild envision Brodin, Jake Middleton and Buium as their top-three left-shot defensemen. Additionally they have teenager Declan Chisholm, who’s enjoying effectively in an elevated position for the injured Brodin and scored his first aim of the season Saturday night time.
“I hated placing him within the deal, however I needed to,” Guerin mentioned. “He’s such an ideal child and carries himself rather well. He’s going to play on this league for some time.”
The fascinating a part of Guerin’s placing a first-round choose within the deal is the Wild hope to remain out of long-term injured reserve to allow them to preserve accruing cap house and doubtlessly add a major participant upfront of the commerce deadline. The Wild might use different prime prospects in that deal, or as Guerin quipped, “We’ve different (first-round picks), too. I imply, let’s simply get there first.”
As Saturday’s commerce confirmed, Guerin is now not shy about utilizing his picks and prospects as forex to get what he desires.
And he clearly needed Jiricek.
(Picture: Paul Vernon / Related Press)
