After hearing the name David Jiříček in trade rumors for a couple of weeks, the deal was finally made, and he found himself with the Minnesota Wild. In exchange, the Columbus Blue Jackets received Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including a first round in the NHL 2025 Draft, with the top five protected. Wild general manager Bill Guerin made it clear he was willing to do what was necessary to get Jiříček, and he’s happy about it.
The Wild welcomed Jiříček to Minnesota on Monday afternoon in a social media post that showed the Wild’s staff giving him a welcome card and Crumbl cookies after their practice. Although he joined the team’s practice, head coach John Hynes told the media after the practice that Jiříček won’t play in their game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, Dec. 3, making it clear they want to ease him into the lineup. Now that the dust has settled a bit, we’ll look at what Jiříček brings to the lineup, starting with his size.
Jiříček Brings Size
At 6-foot-4 and 204 pounds, he’s the tallest player on the Wild’s roster, with Zach Bogosian, Marcus Foligno, Jon Merrill, Jake Middleton, and Joel Eriksson Ek all coming in at 6-foot-3. His weight has him tied for sixth on the team with Merrill, although he’s got an inch more on Merrill. While it may seem like the Wild have a lot of bigger guys on their roster, they did need a bit more size.
Foligno, Middleton, and Bogosian all throw their bodies around, but they don’t have that slight extra bump that the team used to. Back when they had the GREEF line which was made of Jordan Greenway, Eriksson Ek, and Foligno, they had that extra bump and size that threw hits and could move the puck. Former Wild player and current Buffalo Sabre, Greenway, has a lot of size that they gave up in a trade, and now they’ll get some of that back.
With his size, he also has a boomer of a slapshot that the Wild can always use more of. Brock Faber and Middleton like to use their shot, but not enough, and hopefully, when Jiříček joins the lineup, he’ll show off his slapshot and give his team more scoring chances.
Jiříček Means Future
Besides his size, one of the biggest assets about Jiříček is his age. He’s only 21 years old, so the Wild will hopefully have a lot of years left in his career to see him improve and become the strong player they hope he will. They already have Faber, and they secured Zeev Buium in the 2024 NHL Draft, so with Jiříček, they have at least half of their defensive core under the age of 25.
With Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin being the Wild’s top defensemen but also injury-prone over the last few seasons and being in their 30s, the Wild had to start looking younger. Bogosian and Merrill are also in their 30s and likely not with the team much longer. The Wild knew their defense was an area they needed to stock up on, and Jiříček was the player they wanted.
He’s not a big offensive threat yet, but he has the potential, especially with his slap shot. Plus, he’s not afraid to take shots, and the Wild like that. With his age, they’ll be able to work with him and get him adjusted to their systems, and hopefully, he’ll be exactly what they’re looking for.
Wild Let Hunt Go
Getting Jiříček will hopefully be an advantage for the Wild, but there’s also the other side to the trade: the player or players the team let go. In this case, that was Daemon Hunt, and four draft picks that will be in future drafts. Hunt was well-liked among Iowa and Minnesota Wild fans, as he spent some time in the NHL and the American Hockey League.
Hunt and Jiříček had similar production levels in the games played, with Jiříček having the slight edge in points. Hunt showed a lot of defensive promise but, unfortunately, wasn’t able to crack the lineup much with the Wild, and when he did, it wasn’t long. Hopefully, a fresh start with a new organization will give him some playing time and the ability to show his talents.
Jiříček & Hunt Deserve Fresh Starts
Trades are one of the easiest things to criticize in sports, and while sometimes they make perfect sense, other times they don’t. Regardless, it can be hard when fans get attached to players, and then those players leave, but that’s the business side of the sport.
Related: Blue Jackets Trading Jiříček Provides Glimpse Into Future Plans
The important thing is that both sides benefit, and both players get a fresh start. Trades don’t always work out, but hopefully, this one does, and Jiříček and Hunt get the spots they’ve been looking for.
