Puck moving defenseman are becoming more and more prominent, as most teams seem to have a few where they’re getting a good amount of offense from the defense.
The Toronto Maple Leafs do have Morgan Rielly, however, they could use an extra defender on the backend that can alleviate some of his work load and provide a strong presence in many aspects. Offense, a right shot, an edge, a shooting threat, the Maple Leafs need a player with all of these qualities. A situation unfolding with the Columbus Blue Jackets with their top prospect could get a lot of attention, even from the Maple Leafs.
Defender David Jiricek, the sixth overall pick in 2022, is a skilled, puck moving defender that can play with an edge. Recently he made comments about how he’s frustrated with his lack of opportunities in the NHL. While a move out of Columbus isn’t imminent as things could still work out, a team like the Maple Leafs should definitely show a lot of interest in a defenseman that they could definitely use.
Jiricek and Team See Things Differently
Jiricek was sent down to the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League two weeks ago and– as a result– he was definitely less than pleased with the move. He last played a game on Jan. 9 and has been a healthy scratch for the rest of the month. He has nine points in 36 games and averages 14:46 per game this season. While he’s still young and developing, having this kind of disconnect with your top prospect, isn’t exactly the right path to go down.
“They told me the last game was not good enough for me,” Jiricek stated. “I told them I don’t think so, but that’s your opinion. I was out of the lineup after that. A whole month now, it feels like I haven’t played.”
Blue Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent likes Jiricek’s mindset wanting to be a factor, but felt that getting minutes in the AHL would be better for him. While that does make sense at some point, Jiricek is going to grow old of the AHL as he’s been very productive with 41 points in 59 career games. At what point do you start to play your most promising prospect more and give him those opportunities?
I asked THW’s own credentialed Blue Jackets writer Mark Scheig about the situation and the timing for this to happen isn’t ideal.
“It’s the worst possible time to have one of your top prospects be disappointed,” Scheig said. “The Blue Jackets season will have no postseason so this should be the time he’s playing the most minutes.
“This to me is more of a case of a young player being honest about how he feels. But he is mature enough to work through this. The reason it’s getting more attention is because of how the season overall has gone.”
This season has been less than kind to the Blue Jackets, but there needs to be a plan in place where he needs to thrive. While you want to audition names like Andrew Peeke for a trade, things could play out if he does get moved. Jiricek can get called up after the deadline and then play meaningful minutes. But if things persist, teams could take advantage and the Maple Leafs should be one of them.
Jiricek’s Game Is What Maple Leafs Need
It’s understandable that the Blue Jackets don’t want to rush Jiricek, but he’s learned a lot ever since he mad the jump to North America.
Jiricek’s combination of his play in transition while also being aggressive on the defensive side of things is what jumps off the page. He’s smooth when carrying the puck through the neutral zone and gaining entry in the offensive zone. He needs to work on his skating and his first few steps, but when he hits his stride he’s difficult to contain.
When he has his chance to be aggressive, Jiricek won’t hesitate activating from the blueline and move down low or to the middle of the ice for a shot on goal. He has great vision when in control of the puck and shows great patience when trying to open things up and generate a play. He can provide great support along the boards with his pinches but also on the rush as an attacker as well. He can find seams very easily as he has great precision with his passing and his shot from point is just as strong as he’s always finding the open ice to get it on net.
Like any defender where the offensive game is more noticeable, Jiricek has to work on his defensive game, but has some aspects that standout. For one, he has the size and physicality to quickly close gaps on attacking forwards when defending the rush. He always finds the inside edge and separates the puck from the player cleanly and wins battles along the boards. His long reach allows him to break up in one-on-one battles and intercept plays.
While Jiricek’s aggressive tendencies are a strength, it can be a weakness, as there are times where he can get caught out of position. He really needs to know when the time is right to do so and know when to prioritize defending. Even in his own zone, he needs to work on pressure situations as he can be inconsistent.
What Could an Offer Look Like?
Scheig says that he doesn’t feel like this situation will get to a boiling point and a trade needs to happen. However, he thinks it would involve a promising player coming back. While the Maple Leafs have an average prospect pool, they may need to add more in order to get a deal done.
The Maple Leafs’ first-round pick is going to be in play, either one in 2024 or 2026. On top of that the Maple Leafs would at least need to give up a top prospect or two to bring in a player of Jiricek’s caliber. As much as you want to keep some names in the system, no prospect is safe.
One name that jumps off the page is Easton Cowan, a highly energetic, smart and skilled centre that can play with a great amount of pace and a 200-foot game. He ranks 12th in Ontario Hockey League scoring with 60 points in 33 games, a 1.82 point per game average. Behind him are Fraser Minten and Topi Niemelä. Minten is a strong and physical two-way centre that can project to be a middle six player. Niemelä has had a strong rookie season with 22 points in 36 games as a mobile, puck moving defenseman with strong IQ in his own end.
While the Maple Leafs would want to keep all three, you may need to give up more for Jiricek considering the Maple Leafs pool isn’t as strong compared to others.
If the Blue Jackets want a roster player, Nick Robertson could be of interest as he may want more minutes than just being used in a third line role. At the beginning of the month, the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks made a deal that involved Cutter Gauthier and Jamie Drysdale as the main pieces of the deal. If we’re talking about players needing a change of scenery along with a player that isn’t happy with his utilization, a Jiricek deal could end up like that one.
Potential Deal:
To Maple Leafs: David Jiricek, 2024 third-round pick
To Blue Jackets: Nick Robertson, choice of Cowan OR Niemelä and 2024 first-round pick
What does Scheig think of this proposal? “That’s in at least I’d think about it territory.”
The price for a strong puck moving defender is going to be a steep price for any team, even for the Maple Leafs. Whether Jiricek is made available or not or whether or not the Maple Leafs may actually land him, they wouldn’t be doing their job if they didn’t inquire about a promising talent on the blue line. While he still needs to improve in certain areas, a player like him could have a massive impact as his upside is tremendous.
Statistics from NHL and Elite Prospects.