Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman David Jiricek is one of the top players in the trade market right now. The Blue Jackets are looking to move him, and he is understandably generating a ton of interest around the league.
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During his latest Daily Faceoff Live episode, NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that the Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins are frontrunners to land Jiricek. However, Seravalli added that the Buffalo Sabres should not be counted out in the Jiricek sweepstakes.
Hearing that the Sabres are one of the clubs reportedly in the mix for Jiricek is not particularly surprising. It is no secret that they could use a high-impact right-shot defenseman, and Jiricek has all the tools to become one at the NHL level.
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Jiricek, 20, was selected by the Blue Jackets as the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-4 defenseman has appeared in 53 NHL games with the Blue Jackets over three seasons, where he has one goal, 11 points, and a minus-10 rating. While he has not broken out just yet, he is still incredibly young and could benefit from a fresh start.
At the AHL level, Jiricek has demonstrated his high offensive upside, posting 14 goals and 56 points in 86 games with the Cleveland Monsters. He is also off to a solid start with the Monsters this season, recording a goal and an assist in two games.
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It will be interesting to see if the Sabres end up being the lucky club that lands Jiricek from here. While they may not be among the top frontrunners, they have assets to work with that could change things on that front.
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