Whether the Columbus Blue Jackets are on the verge of making a mistake with another young player or they’re right about David Jiricek, one thing is certain: the Blue Jackets did not take him sixth overall in 2022 just to trade him less than three years after selecting him.
That’s the latest speculation on Jiricek – Columbus is reportedly listening to offers on him and is open to trading him after sending him back to AHL Cleveland last week. He has one assist in six NHL games, and he’s only averaged 11:12 of ice time.
They obviously don’t believe Jiricek is ready – at least not yet – to have regular reps on a blueline that would never be confused with the late-1970s Montreal Canadiens. Perhaps they don’t believe he’ll ever be an impact NHL player. We’ll find out soon enough whether or not they’re right.
But the fact remains that Jiricek is one of a number of players from that draft who have struggled to convert their draft promise into NHL stock. There could be a logical reason for that.
Here’s more in today’s video column:
(Don’t see the video? Click here.)
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