Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell was wise to move Jiricek now, before his inability to crack the NHL became a bigger concern.

The David Jiricek saga finally came to an end this past weekend. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild worked out a deal to send Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Wild in exchange for a top-five protected 2025 first-round pick, a 2027 second-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and defenseman Daemon Hunt.

David Jiricek was traded to the Minnesota Wild by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday for Daemon Hunt and four draft picks. Columbus received a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, third-and-fourth-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. Minnesota also received a fifth-round pick in 2025.