Most of the time, when a player is on three teams in four years, there are two reasons. One reason is that they are an older veteran player who is trying desperately to get one last chance at a Stanley Cup. We saw this when the Flyers traded for Adam Oates 25 years ago. The other reason is when a player is traded at the trade deadline as a rental, and then joins another team in the offseason. We saw that when the Flyers traded Claude Giroux to the Panthers, only to see him sign with Ottawa that summer.
It is much rarer to find a "top prospect" who has been on three different teams in that same amount of time. Now, it could be that this prospect was used as trade bait to get a top-tier elite player. Sadly, that is not the case here. In David Jiricek's case, it has been teams giving up on him.
Now, the 22-year-old defender is trying to earn a permanent spot on the Flyers and stick with an NHL roster for the first time in his career. Is the former sixth overall pick ready to put his past behind him and become the player everyone said he should be? Or is he a bust that is uncoachable?
Jiricek was a highly touted prospect
In 2022, Jiricek was one of the hottest prospects. He was rated the fourth-best European skater and the second-best defender in the draft, behind the second-overall pick, Simon Nemec. He was praised for being a great defender. He was not afraid to battle for the puck in the corner, could patrol the blueline with ease, knew how to pass without coughing up the puck, and knew how to jump ahead and intercept a pass.
Not only that, the more he played, the more he worked on his offensive game. Jiricek was touted for having a wicked slapshot and could weasel his way through traffic to deliver a nasty one-timer. He came to be viewed as a defender who could quarterback a power play.
Jiricek had played well in the Czech junior leagues and performed amazingly in international tournaments. With all the hype surrounding him, it is not surprising that Columbus picked him sixth overall in 2022; just one pick after the Flyers made their selection of Cutter Gauthier.
So what has Jiricek's problem been?
During the World Junior Championships in 2021, Jiricek suffered a knee injury, causing him to miss significant time. This likely propelled Nemec over Jiricek in the draft. Rather than throw him into the NHL, the Blue Jackets assigned him to their AHL club in Cleveland. He would be called up just a few games into the season as Columbus was devastated by injuries to their defensive corps. All in all, he played in 55 games for Cleveland (6G, 32A) and four games for Columbus, where he went scoreless but played an average of 18 minutes a game. Not bad for a rookie defender.
However, during the next season, Jiricek felt he was ready to make the jump to the NHL and resented being demoted back to Cleveland. Ultimately, he appeared in 43 games for the Jackets and 29 games for Cleveland. The team felt that he could develop his skating to match the flow of the NHL and could improve his overall game. He felt that he could learn it better at the NHL level than the AHL level. Changing coaches and management further complicated the issue, and he was traded to Minnesota for a handful of picks, including a first-rounder.
For the Wild, they felt that a change of scenery would help him out. However, it was the same issue there. He jumped back and forth between the AHL's Iowa Wild and the NHL squad. The Wild wanted to develop him into a top-four defender, but he still had deficiencies in his game. This alienated him from his coaches. He still lacked that necessary NHL-level explosive speed, and he would still make mistakes that could place his team in a precarious predicament.
At times in Columbus, Jiricek refused an AHL assignment. Now in Minnesota, he was facing the same problems as he did in Ohio and acted the same way. He saw decreased ice time, was often scratched, and his performance crashed. In 31 games over two seasons in Minnesota, he registered just one goal and one assist. The Wild cut their losses, and despite the high price they paid for him, they sent him to Philadelphia for winger Bobby Brink and a second-rounder.
Where does Jiricek stand now?
Upon arrival, he was assigned to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. It wasn't because of anything he had done yet, but because there was no room for him at the time and they wanted him to play. Both Rick Tocchet and Daniel Briere expressed enthusiasm for having him in the organization. He was revitalized, scoring two goals and 11 assists in just 15 games for the Phantoms. He even closed out the season by playing in one game for the Flyers, skating for 19 minutes.
Now is his turn to shine. With Travis Sanheim, Cam York, Nick Seeler, and Jamie Drysdale firmly entrenched in their roles and Rasmus Ristolainen still here, Jiricek will be battling it out for that sixth spot with former first-rounder Oliver Bonk. If the Flyers carry seven defenders, this is probably the seven. While in some games, they may employ seven blue liners, especially early on, this is Jiricek's time to prove himself.
So far, he has struggled to stay on a roster. He has to show that he can shake off the "uncoachable" and "immature" label. Perhaps he has grown up a bit over the last few seasons, is aware that the Flyers have a more stable organization, have a plan for him, and is ready to help him grow. This could help him thrive and become the player he was projected to be. As Ristolainen could be on his way out and with Seeler signed on for only two more campaigns, this gives Jiricek time to develop his skill set and be ready to become a top-tier defender.
Or, he could be the defensive version of Alexander Daigle. He is egotistic, arrogant, won't listen to anyone, blames everyone else, and pouts about his lack of success. As of right now, the Flyers paid a light price to acquire him; much lighter than what the Wild did. Yes, Brink was popular in the clubhouse and with fans, but his departure opened up a spot for Porter Martone to shine. So, the trade was a low-risk, high-reward move.
Personally, I've never been a fan of bringing in "disgruntled" players from other teams, as their bad attitudes could be infectious. It's not as if the Jackets and Wild have been the most stable organizations over the last few years. Other players have demanded trades from those perpetually messy franchises. So maybe it isn't all him.
But for Jiricek to shed the "bust" label, he has to prove it. If he can carry over what he did in the AHL into this season and learn from the Flyers coaches and vets, he could become a top-level defender. And if that is the case, then the Flyers will have a defensive unit that could legitimately challenge Carolina's squad as the best in the Eastern Conference.
Add us as a preferred source on Google