Wild content with something in return for David Jiricek: “It’s an investment”

ST. PAUL, Minn. — While a half-dozen teams were swarming around Don Waddell, trying to land a 6-foot-1 right back who finished sixth in 2022 and was named the best defender at the World Junior Championships two years ago, Bill Guerin had it around on Saturday to up the ante on Columbus Blue Jackets prospect David Jiricek – a 21-year-old player he’s wanted for a long time and, frankly, been hoping to get for weeks tried.

It sounds like the Minnesota Wild’s president of hockey operations and general manager has already offered at least a first-round pick and a second-round pick to blue-line prospect Daemon Hunt.

Was Jiricek really worth adding a third- and fourth-round pick on top of that haul?

But when you look at the low percentage of mid-round picks that make an impact in the NHL, coupled with the fact that the Wild’s prospect cupboard is stacked and their NHL roster is filled with many players on temporary contracts, it worked Guerin didn’t want to stop the deal – or worse, ruin it – because he didn’t commit to a third and fourth deal.

In the end, he concluded that the additional picks were just window dressing.

So on Saturday afternoon, the Wild acquired Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick for Hunt, a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick and a future second-, third- and fourth-round pick.

Go deeper

Blue Jackets trade David Jiricek to Wild for Daemon Hunt, draft picks

Guerin called the price paid for Jiricek a “no-brainer.” They’re at a stage in his plan to turn the Wild into a contender where Guerin feels he can use prospects and draft picks as currency.

“It just made sense,” Guerin said. “He’s not 30, he’s not a loan player. He is a 21-year-old defender we can invest in. And that’s what we did. That’s how I see it. It’s an investment. … Everyone on our team, from the amateurs who followed him to the pros, wanted to do this deal.”

Jiricek played six games for Columbus this season and was waived 12 times before being traded to Cleveland, where he had two goals – including an overtime game-winner – and an assist in four games. The Wild sent him to Iowa on Saturday, but it sounds like he will be recalled in the next few days due to defenseman Jonas Brodin being injured.

David Jiricek with the OT game winner! What a goal…@DavidJiricek⁩ ⁦@OctagonHockey⁩ pic.twitter.com/vRW3MoK2z8

– Allan Walsh🏒 (@walsha) November 24, 2024

Head scouts hate giving up draft picks, especially first-rounders. The satisfaction of pulling the levers on draft picks and seeing them ultimately make an impact motivates them to scour the world for hockey players.

Judd Brackett, the Wild’s amateur scouting director, was in Saginaw, Michigan, Saturday night to do just that. But when Brackett spoke to Guerin on Saturday about how many picks the Wild would have to give up, Brackett still felt the price was worth it.

A Wild win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night would mean the Wild would tie for the most points in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets.

Where the Wild go from here has yet to be decided, but right now it looks like the Wild will be selecting in the mid-to-late 20s in the 2025 draft.

A player like Jiricek wouldn’t be there.

“Giving up a starting player always hurts, but a sign of a good trade is both teams giving up something that hurts a little if it goes the other way,” Brackett said. “First-round picks are something we covet, but the opportunity for a player who was drafted sixth overall, who we really liked in his draft year and who we love now, makes all the sense in the world.”

“It’s almost Christmas. We have a handle on this year’s draft, so we have some idea of ​​what a mid-20 pick will look like this year compared to years past. Of course, David Jiricek still has some things to work on as he transitions to becoming a professional hockey player in North America. But it’s really hard to get these kind of players.

“A 6-foot-1 right-shot defenseman who was the Junior World Defender of the tournament two years ago.”

Waddell, Guerin’s Blue Jackets colleague and once a finalist for the Wild’s GM job before retiring to stay with his former employer, the Carolina Hurricanes, said: “A few more teams have come up and made things interesting made. It’s been hot in Minnesota since day one. I’ve been in constant contact with them and Billy is a friend of mine. But he understands that I have to do what’s best for the Blue Jackets. I was in no hurry to do this. He poked around every day, trying to find out where we were. We talked a few times (Saturday) and there were a few (tips) that he improved on until I said, ‘Okay, that’s fair.'”

Brackett believes Guerin is building the wilderness the right way.

“Now when you look at the Wild, who are under 22 on the back end, you see (Brock) Faber, Jiricek, (Zeev) Buium and (goalie Jesper) Wallstedt on the goal line,” Brackett said. “This is a pretty strong opportunity to build not only on current success but also in the long term.

“From a scouting director’s perspective, we currently have four top-10 picks outside of the NHL between Wallstedt, Buium – I think Buium is a top-10 pick all day – Yurov and Jiricek. When they do re-drafts, we believe they have a top-10 value from their draft years.

“And this in a squad that already includes (Matt) Boldy, (Kirill) Kaprizov and Faber.”

Why was Jiricek in such demand by the Wild as they plan for life after Jared Spurgeon when his contract expires after the 2026-27 season?

“The aggressiveness with which he plays, the assertiveness,” Brackett said. “He wants the puck. He has a really big shot. He’s an absolute bomb. He has the ability to get into spots where he can exploit it and support the rush. He definitely plays in his D-zone. You’ll see, even though he’s 6-4 years old, he’s still a little lanky and lanky. At 21 years old, he still has room for improvement.

“But the overall competitive nature of him is appealing. The Czech junior world team was very good and he was the main reason for that.”

(Courtesy of Byron Bader / Hockey Prospecting)

There is no doubt that Jiricek needed a change of scenery in Columbus. He burst onto the scene in 2022-23, scoring 38 points in 55 games in the AHL – a league that is often unkind to teenagers.

But three coaching staffs in Columbus clearly felt he wasn’t NHL ready yet.

“We’ll see what kind of responsibility he gets on the ice, whether it’s on the power play or not,” Guerin said. “We’ll see how he converts penalties and things like that. I think it will be a while before we update him here. There is a lot for him to learn. And we will try to help him and move him forward.”

Go deeper

Portzline: David Jiricek’s skating concerns were enough for the Blue Jackets to trade him

Jiricek’s biggest weakness is said to be his skating. His crossovers in particular don’t seem natural.

“He’s an average skater, but he’s good enough,” Brackett said. “You’re not going to look at him and say, ‘Oh my God!’ It’s good enough. And as he gets older and gains more manly strength, I think it will be okay. That wasn’t an issue in his draft year. It was a bit strength related. But if there is one area that is lagging, I would agree that his skills, competitiveness and hockey sense are all better than his skating.”

Hunt, who was pulled from the ice before the Iowa Wild played Charlotte on Saturday, was virtually boxed out in Minnesota. The Wild felt he was ready for the NHL, but they have seven defensemen on the roster. But going forward, the Wild see Brodin, Jake Middleton and Buium as their top three left backs. They also have youngster Declan Chisholm playing a prominent role in place of the injured Brodin and scoring his first goal of the season on Saturday evening.

“I hated to include him in the deal, but I had to do it,” Guerin said. “He’s such a great boy and carries himself really well. He’s going to be playing in this league for a while.”

What’s interesting about Guerin including a first-round pick in the deal is the Wild’s hope of staying out of long-term injured reserve so they can continue to clear cap space and potentially add a key player before the trade deadline. The Wild could use other top prospects in this deal, or as Guerin quipped, “We have other (first-round picks) too.” I mean, let’s get there first.”

As Saturday’s trading showed, Guerin is no longer afraid to use his picks and prospects as currency to get what he wants.

And he clearly wanted Jiricek.

(Photo: Paul Vernon / Associated Press)