Players report to training camp today and we’re in the home stretch of our Top 25 Under 25 countdown. Thanks to the 74 readers who submitted ballots in this year’s ranking of Columbus Blue Jackets players and prospects under the age of 25
#4 David Jiricek
Voting
4th out of 42 eligible players
Writer Rank: 6th
Reader Rank: 3rd
Highest Placement: 2nd (12 votes)
Most Common Placement: 6th (14 votes)
2023 Rank: 3rd (-1)
Biography
Birthdate: November 28th, 2003
Birthplace: Klatovy, Czechia
Height: 6’4″
Weight: 207 lbs
Position: D
Shoots: Right
Acquired: Drafted in the 1st round (6th overall) in 2022
2023-24 Season
It would not be controversial to say that David Jiricek’s 23-24 season was not ideal. Watching his on-ice performance it was immediately apparent that Jiricek still had work to do on his skating. With the puck on his stick and going forward its clear why he is viewed as a high-end prospect. But, when skating backwards or having to change directions, the deficiencies show and lead to poor gap control and an inability to be in position. Jiricek clearly wants to be an offensive driver. He has a booming shot, is aggressive in moving up the ice, cycling in the attacking zone, and looking for that long exit pass. When those skills are paired with memories of him being trapped in the defensive zone, its easy to think he had been a defensive liability. Yet, Jiricek gave up shots against at the lowest rate of all defenseman last year on the Blue Jackets at all strengths. Context should be applied here as Jiricek played in a sheltered role with the 3rd highest rate of O zone starts (behind Boqvist and Z), the 3rd lowest rate of D zone starts among D (again behind Boqvist), and less than 8 minutes of PK time. The coaching staff did not trust Jiricek to play in clear defensive situations or against top competition.
Jiricek played in 43 NHL Games, and averaged 14:36 TOI with almost no special teams play. His usage can certainly be questioned, but the bigger issues may have been how we was handled by the organization off the ice. Days after being told to get a place in Columbus, he was sent to AHL Cleveland (with public displeasure) and once he was back up with the club there were frequent healthy scratches.
Jiricek did finish out the year in Cleveland and was a major scoring force in their Calder run. In 14 playoff games he contributed 3-8-11 including some late game heroics. Defensive lapses were included in that run, but it was good to see some of the scoring show after a relatively quiet NHL stint.
2024-25 Outlook
It seems like once again Jiricek will be given every opportunity to lock up a place on the NHL roster for the season. With Adam Boqvist no longer in the organization there will be more opportunities for Jiricek to take some of the high leverage offensive situations and display his tools. With a new GM and new Coaching staff, this pre-season was a huge chance for Jiricek to prove he belonged and had what it takes to run a 2nd PP unit. Jiricek has been a successful part of Power Plays his entire young career, including last year in Cleveland, but it does not appear that he has displaced the veterans Provorov or Severson for that 2nd unit early in the season. Maybe a Provorov move will open up that spot for him?
Players like Cale Makar make it easy to forget that most prospects take time to develop, especially at D. Jiricek is a fun player to watch with a unique blend of offensive talent and hard hitting physicality. Prospects aren’t entitled to playing time or places on the roster but the team also needs to put them in the situation that best gives them a chance to succeed. The table seems set for him to get a long run in the NHL, hopefully we can spend more time talking about what makes him fun as a hockey player and less time dissecting his usage or place in the press box.
Jiricek brings a rare skill set to a large RHD and if this team ever intends to win more than it loses he must be a part of it. He appears set to rotate in with the bottom 4 D of Johnson, Gudbransen, and Harris but the early season will also show Christiansen’s place in the roster. There are certainly second pair and second power play minutes available for the taking should Jiricek assert his talent. Maybe we’ll get another look at the Mateychuk-Jiricek pairing later in the season, it was a great success in the preseason.