David Jiříček has had to be patient.
Since requesting a trade out of the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, the sixth overall pick of the 2022 Draft has yet to carve out a spot during his 15 months with the Minnesota Wild. Unfortunately, he’s had to be patient in getting his first point for the 2025-26 season. With 25 games and 292 minutes, Jiříček has had the most playing time without a point in the NHL.
The Wild knew they were signing up for a project when they traded Daemon Hunt — who they’ve since re-acquired — last year’s first-round pick, this year’s third-and-fourth-rounders, and 2027’s second to grab Jiříček. Despite his immense talent, Minnesota limited him to six NHL games, preferring that he rebuild his skating in the AHL and over the summer.
At age-22, Jiříček needs more reps, although he has played in 17 AHL games. Still, issues with his decision-making have the Wild in a bind. When John Hynes puts Jiříček on the ice, a lot of pucks get directed at Minnesota’s net. Jiříček ranks 236th of 237th among defensemen with 200-plus minutes with 3.60 expected goals allowed per hour. It’s hard to blame Hynes on this one.
Minnesota is in win-now mode, and Jiříček is probably the piece who is the most awkward fit. The Wild could likely use an upgrade over Zach Bogosian, or even someone to push Jared Spurgeon for minutes. As a project player, the Wild can’t count on Jiříček for that this year, so where does that leave him?
One option is for Guerin to cut losses and retain some value by flipping Jiříček for either a player who can help win now or an asset that can be used as currency to acquire that player. The Athletic’s Michael Russo has recently noted the Nashville Predators’ interest during the Jiříček sweepstakes in November 2024.
The Wild have preached patience with Jiříček so far.
“Everyone wants to fast-track guys, and it’s hard,” Wild director of player development Brad Bombardir told Russo and Joe Smith in January. “He’s going to be a tremendous player for us. I have no problem with him at all. I know internally we’re extremely happy with him.”
This trade deadline is going to be a litmus test for how honest those words are. Minnesota wants to be active at the trade deadline, and they’d surely like to retain young center Danila Yurov and goaltender Jesper Wallstedt. If Jiříček is a path to getting help without sacrificing either of those pieces, it’s got to be tempting.
Still, the potential long-term reward of Jiříček is higher than scooping up a second-rounder, or maybe even a late first. He’s at a point in his development where the focus is on working through his weaknesses, but we can’t forget his strengths. Jiříček stepped into the AHL at age-18 and immediately put up 38 points in 55 games for the Cleveland Monsters during the 2022-23 season.
That winter, he was named Best Defenseman at the World Junior Championships. That tournament included future Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson, Luke Hughes, and Brandt Clarke. We’re three years past that tournament now, for sure, but Jiříček remained productive in the AHL until the point he got to the Wild organization. That offense is still there.
He just has to get things in his own zone in order and cut down on the plays that go against him before we can see it. Offense starts in the defensive zone, and unless you’re on the top power play — which Jiříček won’t be, given Quinn Hughes‘ presence — points can’t come to a defenseman without quick decisions that lead to clean breakouts.
In theory, the support should be there. 1,000-game veteran Alex Goligoski has been mentoring Jiříček behind the scenes, and Iowa Wild head coach Greg Cronin has had success developing young blueliners. Jackson LaCombe experienced significant growth during his age-23 and 24 seasons under Cronin, and he’s helped develop highly touted players like Pavel Mintyukov and Olen Zellweger into the NHL.
The process has been longer than fans perhaps expected, or than the organization needs it to be. Still, it’s no less worthwhile. The need Minnesota has on the right side isn’t going away. Bogosian is set to become a UFA, and it’d be wise to let him walk. Spurgeon is slowing down in his age-36 season, has one year remaining on his contract, and must prepare for life without the top-four defenseman.
Other than fellow Czech David Spacek, there’s little in the Wild’s defense pipeline on the right side, and they may find themselves with two holes to fill. Jiříček still represents the highest upside option for the Wild to affordably fill out the right side of their top-four.
The Wild paid full freight to get Jiříček because of his unique traits as a defenseman. It’s tough to find right-shot defensemen, harder to find ones with the shot and skill Jiříček possesses, and nearly impossible to find that in a 6-foot-4 frame. Sticking with him might be a risk, and it might not help the team this spring, but it feels more worthwhile than selling him for mere dimes on the dollar.
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