When the St. Louis Blues drafted Adam Jiříček sixteenth total, the media couldn’t assist however draw comparisons to his older brother, David, drafted sixth total two seasons prior. On the time, David admitted to NHL.com, “[Adam’s] a greater skater and he was good at breaking apart passes.” Now Adam, who missed a lot of final season with a severe harm suffered on the World Junior Championship, is making an attempt to get his skates again below him and put together for this season’s event.
In the meantime, older brother David’s title is circulating in rumors. In his lauded 32 Ideas column this week, Elliotte Friedman commented on David’s future after the Blue Jackets acquired Dante Fabbro.
The scenario to look at is now with David Jiricek, who performed 9:15 and eight:50 his final two video games, then sat out Fabbro’s first. There have been rocky waters between participant and group final season. And, whereas I don’t consider new GM Don Waddell would robotically transfer on from a participant he didn’t draft, he wouldn’t have the identical attachment as [previous Columbus GM] Jarmo Kekalainen.
Eliotte Friedman, 32 Ideas Column
Now, many instances, even when these rumors percolate, they don’t quantity to something. Jiricek might nonetheless be despatched down for seasoning, return to the Columbus Blue Jackets, and have an extended profession there. But when David is shopped in commerce gives, Blues common supervisor Doug Armstrong (and his new quantity two, Alex Steen) ought to make the decision and see what it could take to accumulate him.
Excellent Match for Blues
Earlier than the 2024 Draft, the Blues’ defensive pipeline was an abyss. There was nobody within the group who even resembled a high younger defenseman. They began to handle that by including Adam. Then, they made a surprising transfer, including Philip Broberg by supply sheet. That call was paying off handsomely for the Blues till he suffered a nasty knee harm that may maintain him out for 4-6 weeks. Whereas Broberg and the youthful Jiříček are begin, they don’t make a whole defensive pipeline. And regardless that each look promising, David would instantly enter the group as the highest blue chipper on protection.
David matches the prototype of a cornerstone right-shot defenseman, standing at 6-foot-4, weighing 209 kilos, and displaying good hockey sense and skating capacity. Although he hasn’t but earned the total belief of the Blue Jackets teaching employees, everybody nonetheless thinks he has a really vibrant future. A right-handed, first-pairing franchise defenseman is arguably crucial a part of any workforce’s rebuild within the NHL. With each Jiříček brothers, the Blues would have two fairly superior cracks at creating simply such a defenseman. If each turn into studs, even higher. And if each brothers and Broberg be a part of the group within the area of six months or so, it could characterize a drastic overhaul and a large leap ahead for the franchise.
What Would Jiříček Value?
To get a way of what David may cost a little to accumulate, I requested my THW colleague and Blue Jackets reporter Mark Scheig. He didn’t mince phrases. After clarifying that the workforce wasn’t keen to unravel the scenario with a commerce, he mentioned: “Waddell would want an awesome haul. They nonetheless consider in his upside.” Whereas that is likely to be true, Waddell’s public feedback recommend that they’re disenchanted in what they’ve seen thus far this season. So the query is likely to be: will Jiříček tolerate one other full season within the American Hockey League (AHL), and can the group honor a commerce request if he makes one?
If he does, Scheig tells me the start line for a return can be: “minimal a high prospect… They see him as a 1D finally. I’d begin listening if it’s a primary + high prospect.” The Blues have choices if that’s the bundle — though they is likely to be reticent to commerce a first-round choose, particularly after surrendering many picks to accumulate Broberg and Dylan Holloway this summer time. However there could possibly be choices. Final season’s first-round choose Dalibor Dvorsky might be untouchable. However faculty standout Jimmy Snuggerud is likely to be obtainable, particularly if there’s any doubt about his signing a contract earlier than his faculty profession ends. They could additionally take into account together with both of their different top-five prospects, Theo Lindstein and Otto Stenberg.
The sticking level might be draft picks. With their 2024-25 season on the ropes, the Blues are wanting extra like a lottery workforce than a playoff workforce, which means they’d be detest to commerce their 2025 first-round choose. Picks past that gained’t be as invaluable to Columbus and is likely to be simply as coveted by the Blues. Possibly there isn’t sufficient there to make a deal occur. However the Blues ought to discover it. Defensemen just like the Jiříček brothers don’t come round usually, and if there’s a window, nevertheless slender, the place they could add each to the group, they need to see what it takes to climb by it.
