The Philadelphia Flyers officially announced that they have extended pending RFA David Jiricek. Jircek and the Flyers agreed to a two-year, $1.5 million-per-year deal.
The Flyers acquired the 6’3″ right-shot defenseman from the Minnesota Wild at the trade deadline in exchange for forward Bobby Brink. It was a one-for-one swap.
Jiricek was a former first-round pick, selected 6th overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. Needing a change of scenery, the Blue Jackets traded the top prospect for a boatload of picks to the Minnesota Wild during the 2024-25 season. After Minnesota acquired Quinn Hughes earlier this season, Jiricek was blocked again.
Immediately following the trade to the Flyers organization, Jiricek was assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he has been since. In 10 games, he has 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 total points. That matched his AHL numbers from the Iowa Wild in 24 games this year.
The 22-year-old defenseman will no longer be waiver-exempt next season. That means he will more than likely be with the Flyers next season from training camp on. With that in mind, it makes this almost like his first full NHL contract.
This is a great deal for the Flyers. Jiricek will likely be the third-pair right-side guy with a power-play role. A $1.5 million AAV is more than reasonable for that type of player. It also gives them two years to determine if Jiricek can reach the potential he once had.
While his offensive game has continued to develop well, he seems to be struggling to take the next step in his defensive development. Mistakes will be made.
Instead of letting this get to the summer, the Flyers took care of some early business with Jiricek.
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