NHL commerce grades: David Jiricek deal is a poor return on funding for Blue Jackets

Minnesota Wild get: David Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round decide

Columbus Blue Jackets get: Daemon Hunt, 2025 first-round decide (top-five protected), 2027 second-round decide, 2026 third-round decide and 2026 fourth-round decide

David Jiricek struggled to earn the belief of the Blue Jackets teaching employees regardless of his success on the AHL degree. He’s nonetheless a younger participant although with loads of instruments and time to develop. He’s very expert, particularly for an enormous man, and mixed with a robust level shot, he ought to present offense within the NHL. He was a wonderful two-way defenseman at decrease ranges, though his protection has been examined on the NHL degree on account of his so-so footspeed. I additionally thought when Jiricek was enjoying at his finest, he had plenty of chunk in his sport, however that a part of his sport has been extra inconsistent recently. I nonetheless see a possible top-four defenseman, however I’m a lot much less sure about that projection than I used to be a number of years in the past. I additionally assume it’s honest to query whether or not Jiricek is a real prime prospect given he couldn’t crack a middling Columbus lineup persistently.

Daemon Hunt is a cell defenseman who performs laborious and might transfer pucks nicely sufficient. He’s gotten some NHL video games over the previous two seasons for Minnesota. I wouldn’t name him essentially the most dynamic participant on the planet, however coaches will respect his compete degree. He tasks as a third-pair defenseman.

I’d say the principle asset Columbus will get again is the first-rounder over Hunt, even whether it is possible a late first-round decide.

This is a poor return on funding for Columbus after investing the 2022 No. 6 decide in Jiricek. However, the very fact the participant wished out possible harm his worth, mixed with the very fact some NHL personnel have soured on the participant on account of his inconsistent play as a professional plus the very fact he’s appeared to rub his workforce the incorrect manner by means of the method. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline believes it principally got here all the way down to Jiricek’s skating issues. In that manner, it resembles partly the rationale for why Washington traded then-top prospect Filip Forsberg in 2013, which aged poorly.

Time will inform if a change of surroundings brings out a greater Jiricek just like the promising participant he was as a draft-eligible and the season following his draft the place he dominated the AHL and World Junior ranges, and whether or not he adjusts to the NHL tempo.

Minnesota: B+

Columbus: C+

(Photo: Kirk Irwin / NHLI through Getty Images)