Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek has been in the rumor mill since last season. However, after recently being sent down to the American Hockey League (AHL), trade buzz surrounding the right-shot defenseman is only continuing to increase.
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NHL insider Elliotte Friedman recently reported that teams are making “legit pitches” for Jiricek. With Jiricek being a young defenseman with great upside, he is a player the Flyers should seriously consider making a push for.
The Blue Jackets selected Jiricek as the sixth overall pick of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The prospect of him blossoming into a top-four defenseman, at least, is undoubtedly there. With the Flyers needing help on the blueline, he could be a wonderful player to take a shot on.
As a 20-year-old defenseman, Jiricek is still very much adjusting to the NHL level. In 53 career games with the Blue Jackets, he has one goal, 11 points, 38 hits, and a minus-10 rating. He has undoubtedly displayed his potential at the AHL level with the Cleveland Monsters, posting 13 goals and 58 points in 86 games over three seasons.
Jiricek has the tools to become a high-impact two-way NHL defenseman, so the Flyers should have him on their radar. If acquired, he would give them another promising young defender to work with. In addition, he would likely get plenty of chances with the Flyers immediately, as their right side has spots to fight for.
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