Story by
Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Is David Jiricek the odd man out?
- Story by
- Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Is David Jiricek the odd man out?
The Blue Jackets might not carry eight NHL defensemen much longer.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets fall to Seattle Kraken in sixth straight loss: 3 takeaways
They went from seven to eight Sunday, after claiming Dante Fabbro off waivers from the Nashville Predators , which bumped Jordan Harris and David Jiricek into the seventh and eighth defense spots during his Blue Jackets debut Tuesday in Seattle. They watched the Jackets' 5-2 loss to the Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena as healthy scratches, which isn't how NHL coaching staffs or general managers prefer to help young defensemen grow into stalwarts.
Oct 3, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek (55) reaches for the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period at Nationwide Arena.
Kent Johnson 's pending return from injured reserve, whenever it happens, may change the equation. That will require an open roster spot, and reducing the roster by one defensemen would do the trick. The odd man out in that scenario is likely Jiricek, who's still on his entry-level contract and doesn't need to pass through waivers for an AHL assignment.
Advertisement
"We want everybody to play," Evason said. "Is there a decision immediately? No. We're working through that, obviously. Do we want guys sitting out every night, young or old or whoever? No, but the reality is that somebody has to sit out. But have we made a decision in that area yet? No, but we're working through that process."
Harris and Jake Christiansen do require waivers for AHL assignment, so demoting Jiricek is the no-risk option. Jiricek also hasn't solidified regular ice time in the NHL playing rotation, and he needs to start playing regularly somewhere soon. Assigning him to Cleveland would mean a third AHL season, but that's not uncommon with developing defensemen prospects — even those selected as high as Jiricek, who was taken sixth overall in 2022.
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jordan Harris (22) skates during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Monday, Oct. 28, 2024.
He's only played in five games for the Blue Jackets this season, averaging just 11:47 per game with one assist and a -2 plus/minus rating. Jiricek's ice time was also less than 10 minutes in his past two games, including a season-low 8:50 during the Jackets' 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. Jiricek's structural mistake in the neutral zone led to a key goal for the Kings and probably led to limited usage.
Advertisement
"That's our whole thought process is earning their opportunity to play more," Evason said. "After (one of his games), we sat and watched all his shifts. (We) teach and communicate what we need from every player, but from him, in particular ... and, yeah, if you want to play, then you need to earn that right to be on the ice and play games."
Nov 12, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde (37) and Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro (15) play the puck during the third period at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Dante Fabbro impresses in Columbus Blue Jackets debut
All things considered, Fabbro's debut with the Blue Jackets was a good one.
He was charged with four giveaways on the final scoresheet after the Jackets' loss, but it was only his seventh game of the season and the assignment wasn't exactly an easy one. Fabbro, a right-handed shot, was slotted into the right side of the top defense pairing as Zach Werenski 's partner and exceeded his highest ice time (19:17) of the season by four minutes.
Advertisement
He wound up skating on the right side of all three pairings in the third period, including stints with Ivan Provorov and Christiansen as his partners. By the end of the night, after flying cross-country from Nashville late Sunday, Fabbro was exhausted.
"Coming into that first game, obviously ripping the (bandage) off a little bit and playing lots of minutes, I was getting a little tired out there because I hadn't played in a couple weeks and I was getting back into game pace," Fabbro said. "I felt much better (at practice Thursday) and I'll continue to get my cardio back in game shape."
Fabbro skated with Werenski again during practice and is expected to stay there Friday against the Pittsburgh Penguins . Damon Severson , another righty, skated with Provorov again on the second pairing, while the third and fourth pairs had Christiansen working with Harris and Johnson with Jiricek.
"We really liked (Fabbro's) simplicity in the game," Evason said. "He did some really intelligent things, as far as moving the puck out of our zone. Obviously, it's one game, and they'll get some chemistry there too, but we really like the righty-lefty combination in our top four."
Advertisement
Columbus Blue Jackets equipment manager gives Dante Fabbro assist
Fabbro met the Blue Jackets on Monday in Seattle, bringing all his hockey gear with him from the Nashville Predators. Since they were on a road trip, the Blue Jackets' equipment staff didn't have a new set of hockey gloves to match Fabbro's new uniform, so equipment manager Jamie Healy got to work on altering Fabbro's yellow and blue gloves from the Predators.
He even colored over the Nashville yellow on the thumbs with a blue marker. Fabbro got new Blue Jackets gloves at practice Thursday, but was appreciative of Healy's handiwork on the road.
"I had my Nashville gloves, and the yellow cuff on them, so he took the yellow cuff off and put the blue on them," Fabbro said. "If you looked close enough, there were still yellow threads and everything sticking out of the glove, but he did a great job."
Advertisement
Get more on the Columbus Blue Jackets with our Cannon Fodder podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Is David Jiricek the odd man out?
