On Saturday, the much anticipated David Jiricek trade finally took place, with the Blue Jackets sending the big defenseman to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Daemon Hunt and a handful of draft picks. It ends a rocky relationship between player and team, giving both sides a chance at a fresh start.
In a trade that involves all prospects and picks, it's going to take years for us to know the true outcome of this deal. But, for the Blue Jackets, they had to make a move now. Jiricek wasn't getting ice time in the NHL, even seeing 37 year old Jack Johnson earn more than himself.
Was he happy to play in the AHL? Depends on who you ask...
Jiricek was very unhappy about being sent to the Cleveland Monsters last season, but he reported and did finish out the season there. The Jackets demoted him again last week, and he again reported - producing very well for the Monsters in what would become a short stay. Reports this year were that he just wanted to play hockey.
Still, the Jackets felt the need to make a move at this time. Whether that was because of a trade request or not, it was a smart decision from GM Don Waddell to get a deal done now. Why is that? Why couldn't they just hold onto the asset and let him develop more? On word: risk.
The Blue Jackets traded David Jiricek at an extremely high value...
At a first glance, getting back what will likely become a late first round pick, along with some other secondary pieces; is not that great a return on a recent #6 overall pick. I'll admit that I was underwhelmed at first, but this trade gives them some flexibility to make some moves going forward. Or, at the very least, some organizational depth.
From a broader perspective, however, David Jiricek's value just wasn't going to get any higher. His development had stagnated with the Blue Jacket organization. He wasn't playing in the NHL, and he doesn't have much more to prove in the AHL. In fact, at this point, I would say they were seriously risking him becoming a bust, if they held onto him for too much longer. His value was going to start declining.
We should be thankful for his willingness to go back to the AHL and play last week. That stint of productivity certainly drove the offers up and probably forced a move here. But, why couldn't the Jackets get a higher end piece in return?
Likely, there aren't any other teams lining up to trade a similar type of player. They weren't going to get back another recent top-10 selection. And, any team offering them a first round draft pick was probably going to lottery protect it - as the Wild did in this deal. Lastly, it's hard to see teams offering up top of the lineup players for a guy who may or may not ever improve his skating and positioning enough to become an every day player. So, you have to take a gamble on futures.
In this case, I think Waddell did a pretty nice job. Daemon Hunt brings immediate help to replace Jiricek in the system, and they get some future lottery tickets to see what else they can shake out. With the way this team has scouted and drafted over the last few years, I'm confident this deal will work out in the end - as long as they develop players properly.