The trade
Minnesota Wild get: David Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets get: Daemon Hunt, 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected), 2027 second-round pick, 2026 third-round pick and 2026 fourth-round pick
TRADE ALERT‼️
We’ve acquired D Daemon Hunt and 4 draft picks, including a conditional 2025 first-round pick, from the @mnwild in exchange for D David Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick.
📝 https://t.co/zx5iQQChlM@RuoffMortgage | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/tBF3Y1oP2D
— Colu❌bus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 30, 2024
Corey Pronman: David Jiricek struggled to earn the trust of the Blue Jackets coaching staff despite his success at the AHL level. He’s still a young player though with plenty of tools and time to develop. He’s very skilled, especially for a big man, and combined with a strong point shot, he should provide offense in the NHL. He was an excellent two-way defenseman at lower levels, although his defense has been tested at the NHL level due to his so-so footspeed. I also thought when Jiricek was playing at his best, he had a lot of bite in his game, but that part of his game has been more inconsistent lately. I still see a potential top-four defenseman, but I’m much less certain about that projection than I was a few years ago. I also think it’s fair to question whether Jiricek is a true top prospect given he could not crack a middling Columbus lineup consistently.
Daemon Hunt is a mobile defenseman who plays hard and can move pucks well enough. He’s gotten some NHL games over the past two seasons for Minnesota. I wouldn’t call him the most dynamic player in the world, but coaches will appreciate his compete level. He projects as a third-pair defenseman.
I would say the main asset Columbus gets back is the first-rounder over Hunt, even if it is likely a late first-round pick.
This is a poor return on investment for Columbus after investing the 2022 No. 6 pick in Jiricek. However, the fact the player wanted out likely hurt his value, combined with the fact some NHL personnel have soured on the player due to his inconsistent play as a pro plus the fact he’s seemed to rub his team the wrong way through the process. Time will tell if a change of scenery brings out a better Jiricek like the promising player he was as a draft-eligible and the season following his draft where he dominated the AHL and World Junior levels.
Minnesota: B+
Columbus: C+
(Photo: Kirk Irwin / NHLI via Getty Images)
