David Jiricek is now part of the Minnesota Wild after being called up from the AHL Iowa Wild, following a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets. To make space for him, Minnesota sent Travis Boyd to the minors. Meanwhile, Daemon Hunt and four draft picks went to Columbus in exchange and Hunt has been placed in their AHL team.
Minnesota’s defense has been strong this season. Half of their defenders have scored at least 10 points each, with Jacob Middleton and Brock Faber leading with 12 points in 24 games. They boast the best goals-against average in the NHL, allowing just 2.33 goals per game compared to Winnipeg Jets’ 2.50 average. Despite his talent as a puck-carrier, Jiricek might find it tough to secure playing time due to his current form—only one assist in six NHL games this season—and a career minus-10 rating over 53 games.
Jiricek was picked sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft after impressing early on but suffered a major injury during the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships that year, sidelining him for five months. He managed two points in four World Championship games afterward, which convinced Columbus he was still worth a top-10 pick.
Jiricek’s Journey So Far:
After being drafted, Jiricek shone at the rescheduled World Junior Championships with four points in seven games before joining Cleveland Monsters where he scored 38 points as an AHL rookie. Yet his transition to NHL hasn’t been smooth; he only got his first point during the 2023-24 season despite good performances in minors last year (19 points) and this year (three points). Fans might wonder if this move will finally unlock his potential.
Travis Boyd heads back to Iowa Wild after two goalless matches for Minnesota but remains second-highest scorer there with two goals and eleven points over thirteen games—just behind Ben Jones’ twelve-point tally across fourteen contests.
Do you think Jiricek will shine brighter now?
