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Columbus Blue Jackets trade talks on David Jiricek: What we know
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- Columbus Blue Jackets trade talks on David Jiricek: What we know
The NHL rumor mill is churning again with reports surfacing this week about Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek .
More: Columbus Blue Jackets hope AHL assignment boosts Jiricek, Pyyhtia into NHL regulars
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According to Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli, TSN insider Chris Johnston and Sportsnet insider Elliott Friedman, Jiricek might be close to getting a change of scenery after his assignment to AHL Cleveland last week. Selected sixth overall in 2022, Jiricek is back with the Cleveland Monsters for a third season while NHL general managers reach out to B lue Jackets president of hockey operations/GM Don Waddell with trade pitches.
Here's what we know as of Tuesday:
Oct 3, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (55) lines up for a face off during the first period of the NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Nationwide Arena.
NHL insiders say Columbus Blue Jackets will trade David Jiricek soon
Seravalli got the ball rolling Monday by telling a Vancouver radio station that a deal for Jiricek was "imminent" and could even happen Monday night. The Dispatch was told Monday that no trade was imminent.
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Seravalli also said Waddell has "five-to-six concrete offers," on the table and named the frontrunners to be the Philadelphia Flyers , Minnesota Wild and Pittsburgh Penguins with additional fits in the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres .
Johnston said on TSN's Insider Trading podcast that he believes the Blue Jackets are shifting from getting a return package centered on a similarly ranked prospect or young NHL player to deals built around primarily draft picks. Friedman said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that Nashville Predators , the Flyers and Wild appear to be good fits as trade partners but added that Waddell could just sit tight and wait it out.
The Dispatch was told Tuesday the Blue Jackets' front office is not feeling pressured to complete a trade for Jiricek and is content keeping him in the fold if nothing "makes sense" in trade talks.
May 29, 2024; Columbus, OH, USA; Don Waddell has been hired as president of hockey operations and general manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets during a media press conference at Nationwide Arena.
What do the Blue Jackets want in a David Jiricek trade?
Waddell addressed the topic of receiving trade calls from opposing GMs last week and said the price tag for moving Jiricek is high. He's not looking for an established NHL player already in his upper 20s, which the Blue Jackets have enough of right now. Instead, the ideal return would be either a young NHL player or prospect with a high ceiling similar to Jiricek's.
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That could shift toward a return built around draft picks, but it's hard to imagine a scenario where a team is willing to fork over a pick with potential to match or even come close to where Jiricek was selected (sixth overall).
Oct 19, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (55) fights for the puck against Minnesota Wild center Frederick Gaudreau (89) in the first period at Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
What's the latest on David Jiricek with the Cleveland Monsters?
Jiricek is now playing his third AHL season in Cleveland after starting the season as one of two extra NHL forwards in Columbus.
Some wondered whether he'd even report to Cleveland after being assigned to the AHL last week, but Jiricek is with the Monsters and played his first two games Saturday and Sunday against the Milwaukee Admirals.
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In the first, he didn't record a point and had one shot. In the second, Jiricek added two points on a goal and assist, scoring the winning goal in overtime. Offensive output, however, is not what the Blue Jackets' front office is watching. They want to see improvement on the defensive side of the ice and without the puck, especially while working within systems and a structure the Jackets are also using at the NHL level under head coach Dean Evason.
The reports on his play in that regard were positive.
"Really good," Evason said. "He did a lot of really good things on both sides of the puck, which we wanted him to do on a consistent basis down there. Obviously, (he) scored an overtime goal, which is fantastic. We know his offensive side, but as we've talked about before, we need him to dial in when he doesn't have the puck – which it looked like he was committed to do that. ... Everything was really positive."
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: NHL trade talks: Columbus Blue Jackets, David Jiricek, what we know
