The Sabres can check this former trade target off their wish list.
The Buffalo Sabres were among the teams linked to defenseman David Jiricek. However, he can now be officially removed off the Sabres’ want list.
The Columbus Blue Jackets sent Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, and defenceman Daemon Hunt.
Jiricek, 21, may have been a great fit for the Sabres. This is because he is a large, right-handed defenseman with a lot of promise. It’s no secret that the Sabres could need some help on the right side of their defense, and Jiricek may have provided a long-term solution.
However, the Wild gave up a lot to get Jiricek, so the cost of acquiring the talented youngster may have been too high for Buffalo. As a rising team, it would have been hazardous for the Sabres to part with several draft picks, as the Wild did.
Jiricek has one assist and a minus-2 rating in six games for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season. He also recorded two goals and an assist in four games with the Cleveland Monsters this season before being traded.
