28-03-2025
Minnesota Wild Trade Acquisition Now Done for Season
Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Bob Frid-Imagn Images
If the Minnesota Wild have experienced anything this season, it has been a year of injury. Somehow they have still managed to fight for playoff positioning. John Hynes' squad has 87 points on a 41-27-5 record. They have nine games remaining and sit 4th in the NHL Central Division.
The MN Wild desperately need star players like Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Erikkson Ek back. Both have begun to skate, but their timeline remains uncertain and the schedule is running out. Unfortunately for Hynes, reinforcements are exactly on the way either.
MN Wild defenseman David Jiricek done for the year
Earlier this season the Minnesota Wild made a future play to trade for defenseman David Jiricek. It was a massive move in that general manager Bill Geurin parted with NHL-ready Daemon Hunt, and a top-5 protected first round pick to get him from Columbus. Jiricek was the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.
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The plan for Minnesota was to work on Jiricek's skating and integrate him into their lineup. He has played just six games for the Wild this season, the same amount he played for Columbus, and that's where it will end.
A couple of days ago The Athletic's Michael Russo noted that Jiricek would be 'out a while' after getting injured during his first game back with Iowa. That's a pretty coy way to skirt around a lacerated spleen, but the injury is clearly substantial.
Typically a lacerated spleen can result in shock and internal bleeding. Severity drastically alters the timeline for recovery, but it can be estimated anywhere between three and 12 weeks to fully heal.
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Jiricek scored just two points for the Wild this season (1 G, 1 A) while tallying seven points in 27 games (all assists) for the Iowa Wild. The Czech Republic native will be 22 years old next season and hopefully rebound to a place where he can play a key role for Minnesota.
Although the Wild are skirting the line of making the playoffs, their window reopens next season. Kirill Kaprizov is in line for a large, although diminished, contract. The salary cap situation clears up with Zach Parise and Ryan Suter's dead money falling off the books.
Related: Another Veteran Leader Trying to Get Back in MN Wild Lineup
If Guerin is going to parlay his trade for the future in Jiricek into something, then it starts in earnest for the 2025-26 season.
