David Jiricek offers more than just raw talent to the Wild – Minnesota Wild

By the time the Minnesota Wild’s game begins on Saturday, the team will have acquired No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daemon Hunt, the Wild’s most NHL-ready defensive prospect, will be sent the other way along with a first-round pick in 2025, a third in 2026, a second in 2027 and a pick swap, according to Michael Russo.

The move comes as no surprise; it has been pending for a week. But now we know it’s happening, we know the Wild turned down the other offers, and we know the Wild’s potential capital city is affected. All things considered, this is a crucial win for Bill Guerin and his front office. If the Wild are able to fulfill his potential, Minnesota will be missing the final missing piece of its youth movement.

The Wild’s U25 movement was incredibly strong earlier this week and had almost everything a good, growing team needs. A star winger? Look, it’s Matt Boldy. A potential (current?) No. 1 center? Hello, Marco Rossi. A guaranteed top-pair defenseman? There’s Brock Faber, right there. Good prospects for the future? Danila Yurov and Riley Heidt have joined the chat. A true power-play quarterback who is almost NHL-ready? This is what Zeev Buium was designed for. A goalkeeper of the future? We all know Jesper Wallstedt

The only question – other than whether the Yurovs, Heidts and Buiums would last – was their defensive strength beyond Faber and Buium. The Wild had invested heavily in defensive prospects in the 2020 and 2022 drafts, spending top-70 picks on Ryan O’Rourke, Hunt, Carson Lambos and Jack Peart. Despite the investment, only Hunt was considered NHL-ready in the near future.

Additionally, Minnesota was unable to sign an Owen Power, Jake Sanderson or Moritz Seider type defenseman – a defenseman with elite size and skill. They also struggled to fill the right side of defense behind Faber, with David Spacek their only best right-back.

That’s why Minnesota gave up three assets to get Jiricek. At 6 feet tall and weighing 200 pounds, he brings strength, skill and a good right-footed shot to the next generation of Wild players. Once the season ends, the Wild could theoretically field a starting lineup that includes:

Yurov – Rossi – Boldy
Buium-Jiricek
Wallstedt

That’s a tempting collection of young talent, even before it’s clear that the Wild would have Faber behind them. And with these two, Faber makes Minnesota a potential defensive powerhouse for years to come.

The collection of pure, raw talent on the Wild Blueline is now at an incredible level. Ahead of the season, Corey Pronman released his rankings of U23 players and youth players. Buium came in at No. 16 (sixth among defensemen), Faber at No. 35 (11th among D-Men) and Jiricek at No. 47 (17th among D-Men). Only the New Jersey Devils – featuring Luke Hughes, Anton Silayev and Simon Nemec – can match this level of top-tier defensive talent.

But it’s even better. Again, Jiricek not only gives Minnesota more talent, but also a Diversity of skills. Here’s the elevator pitch on all three of these top names, according to Pronman:

Buium: He is an extremely intelligent puck mover who can run a power play like a top NHL player. He routinely makes high-end plays and can break through with his puck handling and passes.
Faber: His excellent skating, gap work and competitiveness have helped him become a great defender who finishes many plays, but the offense he showed this season was a pleasant surprise.
Jiricek: He’s very skilled, especially for a big man, and combined with a strong point shot he should provide offense in the NHL. I like his defensive prowess and think he has shown he can be a great two-way player at other levels.

There is some overlap, but Minnesota now has three defensemen filling three important roles. Jiricek’s bloom has waned a bit, but Pronman’s comparable player in 2022 was Alex Pietrangelo – high praise from the usually conservative draft analyst. Ahead of the 2024 draft, Pronman referred to Buium as a young Morgan Rielly. Faber was a right-footed shot from Jonas Brodin with surprising offensive prowess. A well-rounded blueline like this is hard to find, even at elite NHL clubs.

As for the price, it’s a big “who cares?” from Minnesota’s perspective. Hunt’s future was likely as a third-team defenseman who could crack the top four if necessary. The Wild’s 2025 first-round pick tends to be in the 20s, maybe even the late 20s. Even if Minnesota made this pick, it likely wouldn’t have Jiricek’s upside and a much longer timeline to see a return on investment. A third in 2026 or a second in 2027 is almost negligible.

More importantly, the Wild made this deal without sacrificing their forward depth, particularly NHL-ready midfielder Liam Öhgren, who brings skills and physicality to the pool that would be difficult for Minnesota to replace. They get a huge short-term upside boost without sacrificing anything for the 2025 season, when Wild’s Cup ambitions really begin. Minnesota needs to unlock Jiricek’s potential in a way that Columbus couldn’t, but the reward of acquiring Jiricek far outweighs the risk.