The David Jiricek soap opera is over: he was traded to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday.
In exchange for the sixth overall pick in the 2022 draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets received defenseman Daemon Hunt, a conditional first-round pick in 2025, third- and fourth-round picks in 2026, and a second-round selection in 2027. The Ohio team also sends a fifth-round pick in 2025 to the Wild, in addition to the young 21-year-old rearguard.
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As a reminder, several teams were interested in Jiricek’s services, including the Montreal Canadiens. Nevertheless, the Wild had been considered for a few days as the favorite club to acquire the defender.
“A few more teams showed up and made things interesting. Minnesota was in the game from day one,” said Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell, whose comments were reported by The Athletic.
“I was in constant contact and Billy [Guerin, le DG du Wild] is a friend of mine. But he understands that I have to do what is best for the Blue Jackets. I was in no rush to wrap this up. He continued to push every day, trying to see where we were. We talked a few times today, and there were a few things he improved on, until I said, ‘OK, that’s right.'”
Jiricek had also shared his desire to leave the Blue Jackets organization, being unhappy with his playing time in the National Hockey League. This season, he played four games in the American League, collecting two goals and an assist for three points. He also participated in six meetings in the Bettman circuit, presenting a differential of -2.
In his career, the Czech has played a total of 53 games on the Bettman circuit, including 43 in 2023-2024. Last year, he had a goal and nine assists for 10 points.
