With their first pick in the 2022 NHL draft, the Blue Jackets selected David Jiricek at No. 6 overall .
Jiricek, a right-shot defenseman, comes to the Jackets from HC Plzen in the Czech Extraliga and also represented Czechia at the international U20 and men's levels this year. Right-shot defensemen are a highly-desired commodity in the NHL, and Jiricek adds sought-after size in addition to his handedness at 6-3 and around 190 pounds.
This season, Jiricek scored five goals and added six assists in 29 games at the top professional level in Czechia. He missed the second half of the season after suffering a knee injury at the U20 World Championships in late December, but appeared to have no lingering effects when he returned for the men's world championships in May.
Here's everything we know about Jiricek .
Jiricek is more of a defender than an offensive standout, but the offensive side of the puck is still a key part of his game. He's able to skate the puck out of trouble and make breakout passes in transition, when he isn't carrying the puck out of the zone himself.
At times, he pinches low in the offensive zone and shows strong instincts getting to the front of the net, while also using his strong vision to distribute the puck effectively. Jiricek's slap shot is a cannon and makes him a scoring threat both on the power play and at even strength, whether he beats the goalie himself or creates dangerous rebounds.
Jiricek ran Czechia's second power-play unit at the men's world championships and plans to keep working on his offensive tools.
"He's a two-way (defenseman) because … up to 11-years old he was a forward," said Milan Tichy, a Blue Jackets amateur scout who lives in Plzen and has seen most of Jiricek's games there. "That's why he's got the good hands, the shot, the instincts (offensively). He's confident with the puck."
Jiricek's skating is adequate but could stand to improve, particularly as he gains strength in his recovery from the knee injury. It isn't a liability, but it's something that could make him even more effective in transition with improvement.
Defensively, Jiricek is advanced for his age and projects as a shutdown defender at the NHL level. He plays with a tight gap and a strong man-on-man style, using his feet to stick with his check and his body to knock them off the puck. He isn't afraid to play physically, either, to the point that he was suspended for a high hit this season.
In short, Jiricek is a tall, strong, right-handed defenseman who projects, at minimum, as a top-four, if not top-pairing, NHL player.
"He need to fill out," said Ville Siren, the Blue Jackets' director of amateur scouting. "He's (6-3), but he needs to get stronger. (After) the men's world championships, he felt that when he played against NHL guys that he needs to get stronger. And that's the easiest part, to get stronger. If you want to get stronger, you will get stronger."
Since trading Seth Jones last summer, the Jackets have been looking for a defenseman to play on the right side of the top pair alongside Zach Werenski. Ironically, they selected Jiricek with the pick they received from the Chicago Blackhawks in that trade for Jones.
Jiricek has the upside to be a top-pair defenseman in the NHL, so it's possible that Columbus now has its answer to that question, though he likely won't be ready to fill that role for a couple of years. Regardless of how high in the lineup he ends up playing, Jiricek will be an effective right-shot NHL defenseman, which is always a valuable addition.
"That's definitely his upside (as Werenski's defensive partner)," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said "He has some offense to his game, too, so it's pretty much unprecedented what he's done at his age in the Czech league. And playing in the men's world championships, and played good. I was there myself, watched him play in the men's world championship. He's 6 foot 4, he's got a great frame to him, he's got a great attitude. We love his character, his compete and the skill level, as well, so we're happy to get him."
Jiricek is still lean for his height, so adding size will be important before he's an NHL regular. The Czech Extraliga isn't the strongest competition, so it's likely that Jiricek will need an additional year of development in a better league in Europe — like the Finnish Liiga or the Swedish Hockey League — or perhaps with the WHL's Spokane Chiefs, who own Jiricek's rights.
Kekalainen also mentioned the possibility of Jiricek playing next season for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League if he doesn't make the NHL roster with a strong training camp.
"With Jiricek, we could do as we see, what's best for him," Kekalainen said. "If the best thing is for him to play in Czechia next year, then we'll send him there. If he makes our team, he makes our team. But if the American league's the best place for him, then we'll do that. But we've got lots of time to evaluate that, and we will, and we'll make those decisions when we have to."
Regardless of where he plays in 2022-23, expect Jiricek to challenge for an NHL roster spot in Columbus by the fall of 2023.
Dispatch reporter Brian Hedger contributed to this story.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets select David Jiricek in 2022 NHL draft
