ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Wild were pursuing David Jiricek for a long time. It was something that the Wild’s President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin wanted to do ever since Jiricek’s name has been floating in rumors.
Related: Wild Acquire David Jiricek From Columbus For Daemon Hunt, Picks
“Yeah, we had him ranked I think we had him at number five,” Guerin said on if Jiricek has been on his radar since the draft. “But he was somebody that we really liked his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him. And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff and what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.”
The Columbus Blue Jackets hired a new General Manager before the season started in Don Waddell. He was not with the Blue Jackets when they selected Jiricek with pick No. 6 in the 2022 NHL Draft.
So when he came in before the year, the Jiricek situation interesting. He wasn’t a player that he was attached too because he drafted him. But Waddell still knew that if he were to move Jiricek it would be for a heavy price.
“No. It took awhile,” Guerin said on if this trade happened quickly. “Donny. He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.”
That price the Wild had to pay was Daemon Hunt, a 2025 conditional first-round pick, a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (previously acquired from Colorado for Brandon Duhaime), a fourth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Entry (previously acquired from Toronto for Connor Dewar) and second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.
David Jiricek, acquired by MIN, is a young offence-first defenceman who plays a creative and aggressive game with and without the puck but has struggled with positioning and especially mobility early in his career. Fresh start for the 6th overall pick. #MNWild pic.twitter.com/8iLDAnRRjQ
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) November 30, 2024
It is always considered a big trade when a first-round pick is sent the other way but this is a deal that Guerin and the Wild feel is worth the first rounder.
“Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. To me this was a no brainer to give up a first round pick,” Guerin said. “I mean, he is first round pick, and a very high one. I just don’t see us drafting in that position –hopefully we’re not for some time to come. So to me, it was worth it.”
The fact of the matter is, Minnesota is now 16-4-4 after their 3-2 overtime win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday…