The Flyers improved their prospect pool when they traded for David Jiricek at the deadline. They traded from a position of strength to address an area of need. And Jiricek is an intriguing prospect despite already being with his third organization. And that's exactly why the Flyers took care of business with him early, locking him in with a two-year contract.
The sixth overall pick from 2022 has some of the tools to be an effective player in the NHL. His size is the biggest, literally, as he stands over 6'3 and is just over 200 pounds. So he has a clear upside as a physical defenseman. He has a booming shot from the point and has the chance to be an offensive contributor. But there's one big reason that he hasn't been able to stick in the NHL.
His defensive game needs a ton of work. The sample sizes in the NHL are small, but they don't paint a pretty picture. And while he has produced offensively since joining the Phantoms, the other side of the puck is still a work in progress. Charlie O'Connor of PHLY recently dove into some of the defensive issues Jiricek has.
"Per InStat, Jiricek has posted an ugly 39.91 percent expected goal share (xGF%) at even strength across his ten games with the Phantoms. And while that’s deflated a bit because of the Phantoms’ overall struggles since Jiricek joined them, the Phantoms have still performed 3.63 percentage points worse in terms of xG share with Jiricek on the ice compared to when he’s sat."
And it’s pretty clearly David Jiricek’s defensive results that are the problem. The Phantoms are allowing an awful 3.23 xG against per 60 minutes with Jiricek on the ice. Jiricek’s reads without the puck and his skating issues have been noticeable, even as he’s racked up the points with the puck on his stick and been undeniably impressive on the offensive side.
So if you were wondering why, even with a new contract in hand, Jiricek is likely to remain in the AHL for the rest of the season, the above should tell you enough. The offensive side of his game has come along. He's posted two goals and 10 points in 10 games, the same amount he did with Minnesota's AHL team in 24 games.
Flyers show confidence in David Jiricek with two-year contract
The Flyers have already shown they want to grow Jiricek's game and have the belief that he can be the player he was projected to be. And this is the perfect time for them to do it. It may be their only time to do it as well. Jiricek will no longer be waiver-exempt when his contract kicks in next season. So this time in the AHL could be the last time he has to work on the finer points of his game. He will likely have to keep developing in the NHL after that.
And even though the Flyers could use Jiricek's offense, now isn't the time to throw in a player who has struggled mightily on defense. The initial plan seemed to be for Jiricek to get some games in Philadelphia this season, but the team's recent streak certainly changed things. It's unlikely they expected to be where they are, sitting two points out of a wild-card spot. If things were different and the Flyers could afford to develop him in the NHL now, Jiricek would probably already be up.
Regarding the contract, though, the Flyers could've let the rest of the season play out and determine what they wanted to do with Jiricek after. But by getting it done now, they show him that they acquired him for a reason. And they give him a boost of confidence to know that he's locked in with them for the next two seasons. That should allow him to focus more on his game without the looming contract decision on his mind.
Right now, he can try to help the Phantoms climb back into a playoff spot. They are on the outside looking in with seven games remaining. They are tied in points with the Springfield Thunderbirds, who have a game in hand, and hold the last playoff spot in the Atlantic. If Jiricek can play a key role in getting them into the postseason, that will go a long way.
The Flyers have made their message clear. It's up to Jiricek to do the rest.