Penguins
Penguins Trade Chatter: Dubas Scouts Young Blue Jackets Defenseman
Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas has been quite the traveler over the last several weeks. Monday afternoon, Dubas executed one trade for a faded prospect when the Penguins acquired Philip Tomasino from the Nashville Predators.
According to The Athletic’s Columbus Blue Jackets beat reporter Aaron Portzline, Dubas was spotted at the Cleveland Monsters game on Sunday, presumably checking out another prospect, David Jiricek, who has become a hot name in NHL trade rumors.
Read More: Penguins Trade for Faded Prospect Tomasino from NSH; Full Analysis
Columbus and the 20-year-old defenseman have had a rocky relationship since the team selected him sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft. Last season, Jiricek voiced his displeasure with the organization after being sent to Columbus’s AHL affiliate in Cleveland. Jiricek stuck with the NHL club out of training camp this season but struggled in six games, posting just one assist and a minus-2 rating while averaging just over 11 minutes of ice time.
Last week, GM Don Waddell decided it was best to send Jiricek back to Cleveland. Multiple reports, including one from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, indicate Columbus is actively taking calls.
“I did hear on Saturday there were some rumors of some teams who thought they might be getting close,” Freidman said on his most recent 32 Thoughts podcast.
Friedman also cited the Philadelphia Flyers as potential front runners because the Flyers have a few prospects or young players fighting to break through, “I’ve heard they’re looking for a young player–a similar young player. Maybe someone who hasn’t popped yet.”
Jiricek fits several Penguins’ needs. He is a large defender (6-foot-4, 204 pounds) who is right-handed. Coach Mike Sullivan has chosen to play left-handed Ryan Shea and, recently, Matt Grzelcyk on the right side following the struggles of rookie Jack St. Ivany.
However, the Penguins do not have many young players with blue-chip pedigrees. In August, Dubas acquired Rutger McGroarty, the 14th overall pick in the 2022 draft, from the Winnipeg Jets for Brayden Yager, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft. The remainder of the Penguins’ prospect pool is middle-tier prospects, such as Villie Koivunen and Vasily Ponomarev.
The Penguins’ top pick in the 2022 draft was 6-foot-5 defenseman Owen Pickering, selected 21st overall. He made his NHL debut last week.
Jiricek’s draft day scouting reports indicated he projected as a two-way defenseman with a long reach and heavy point shot. He has played in 53 NHL games, scoring one goal with 10 assists.
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Unload the CANCER on the TEAM!!! #65. UNLOAD HIM!!!!
Easier said than done.
Waive him, eat the salary. The team will lose the 11M in fan support alone if this is not done. Dubas needs to show some heart and some guts and admit the mistake, allow EK to move on and eat whatever needs eaten to make it happen.
One can hallucinate I guess.
Ridiculous
So more people will come if Karlsson is gone?
😂
Making the team more financially strapped will make them better? I think there is a better chance that Karlsson turns his game around.
Let’s hear your plan on how to accomplish this feat bud.
Blaming St Ivany struggles over Karlsson is absurd. Karlssons lack of defense has rubbed off. Notice all the goals scored in front of the net and all the Penguins players behind them watching them shoot the puck unopposed. Pretty sure your job is to push them out of the crease and help the goalie defend your net not be an observer!!!
I have to give Dubas credit for doing his due diligence on young players across the league. However, not every player can be a reclamation project. No matter where they were picked in the draft, there’s a reason they haven’t panned out in the NHL. Still, for as much venom that has been spewed toward Dubas, I wanted to give credit where it’s due. He’s doing what he was hired to do, even if the current results on the ice are not what we’ve become accustomed to.
Hes 20….
Gone,at least for now, are the days when the penguins will go out and make a blockbuster trade. Everything that Dubas does for the time being will be for the rebuild. Yes, that includes “reclamation projects.” People have a hard time understanding that, and it is hard to accept, but it is where the team is at right now.
While Tomasino might be a reclamation project, I don’t see Jiricek as one. He is 20 and has only played in a handful of NHL games. He’d be a welcome addition if it meant getting rid of Shea or Grezlyck
Git er dun!!!! Wonder what it will take? Won’t be a ‘27 4th round pick that’s for sure.
Another report has him in Philly yesterday talking with Danny Briere…I’m guessing it’s about Morgan Frost …I just don’t know what he could offer any of these teams considering he’s not dealing first round picks…Would OConner be enough to get Frost ?
He better not be dealing first round picks
DOC should be enough to get either one.
Have you seen him play this season, brah?
Crazy to trade DOC
He is a dime a dozen 4th liner, nothing more.
Trading Drew O’Connor….your fastest young talented player is foolish when they should be surrounding him with other young fast talented players with good hockey IQ. They put him on lines with slow older players. Puustinen is about the only other guy on the team (front line) with better than a erage speed. Of course Crosby can still move but all the others, even Rust, look much slower with age. They have all larger slower players like Bunting, Rakell, Malkin, etc. The lines don’t pair well and Sullivan has lost the team. We can all sit hear and blame Jarry but… Read more »
Pens shouldn’t get rid of the few players that consistently play hard for a “prospect.” DOC is young with some upside (remember Rusty back when he broke?) whose line seems to be at least pressuring opposing teams and working hard. The issue is that Dubas has constructed a blue line that is SUBSTANTIALLY underperforming, not only on the scoresheet but in their fundamental ability to actually defend. Yes, the goalies haven’t stolen many games for us, but its a team game and relying on one position to win games is a losing proposition over the long haul, typically. Add to… Read more »
Or more likely Jesse.
If they were truly motivated to trade this kid, a McGroarty-for-Jiricek deal with Columbus would be the most realistic option. Otherwise, they might be considering Koivunen and another asset.Is that really the best deal they could find around the league? I find that hard to believe, unless Waddell is particularly high on Koivunen, who he drafted in Carolina.
Hello, Hurricanes? We’ve got this All-Star goalie in his prime who has playoff experience . . .
🤣
Who is that? All Star no more. Carolina is winning with both goalies on the shelf starting Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets or whatever his name is. We can’t win with and all Star goalie and a team that looks formative on paper? Go figure…..
FWIW, I would have liked the Pens to have gotten their hands on Perets after the Frozen Four. What fun that was to watch.
Hello, Avalanche? We’ve got this All-Star goalie in his prime who has playoff experience . . .
I give Duby a lot of credit. The guy is working his ass off to get this Amwreck back on track. He has done more in the last month than HexBurke did in one year.
Burke couldn’t even figure out his tie.
None better than Burkie in the buffet line.
He created part of this problem
Burke was in charge of community engagement. Nothing more.
No need to be more specific … 😉
Good one!
Following the struggles of Jack St. Ivany-so let’s look at the stats
St. Ivany-17 GP-Minus 3, 11 giveaways, 7 takeaways
Karlsson-23 GP-Minus 13, 43 giveaways, 12 takeaways
Letang-20 GP-Minus 12, 18 giveaways, 13 takeaways
Grzelyck-23 GP-Minus 13, 16 giveaways, 9 takeaways
Shea-8 GP, Minus 4, 9 giveaways, 4 takeaways
So this so called “struggling” is a bunch of crap, he was also our most physical defenseman until Pickering came up!
Wow that’s abysmal……flat out lack of effort. Pickering better stay up and cut one of the veteran bust free agents. Have to get these kids NHL experience