It's a whirlwind of speculation, these David Jiricek rumors.
Less than a week after being loaned to the AHL's Cleveland Monsters, rumors have intensified on what seems like a daily basis surrounding a potential trade of Jiricek by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Here's the latest buzz surrounding the 2022 sixth overall pick:
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NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported early Tuesday afternoon on his Daily Faceoff podcast that he believes it's a matter of when, and not if, the Blue Jackets move Jiricek — and that a move is close.
"Don Waddell has 5 to 6 concrete offers on the table that he's evaluating," said Seravalli, adding that his belief is the Blue Jackets are looking for "a young, top-end pick or prospect or potentially a package of players that the Columbus Blue Jackets and their fanbase can get excited about."
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Seravalli reported that there are "a number of teams that have wanted to get in the mix that, frankly, either haven't received a call back or have been politely told 'hey, we don't think is a fit. We don't see you having the pieces that we're looking for.'" He lists the Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins as the three front-runners, but did throw in the San Jose Sharks and Buffalo Sabres as possibilities as well.
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Meanwhile, Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic seemed to paint a slightly less enthusiastic picture for the Blue Jackets. "Columbus is trying to sort through where the best offers are coming from and initially focus on trying to get another prospect like him sort of type of deal, but I think Columbus is shifting into draft pick packages" said Johnston on his Insider Trading podcast.
Johnston did not confirm that Jiricek has requested a trade, but did say that Jiricek is "a player that wants a fresh start." He added that the Blue Jackets are "committed to giving it to him and we'll see if they can complete a deal here in the near future."
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Looking for a name? How about Rutger McGroarty? Rob Rossi, who covers the Penguins for The Athletic, wrote Tuesday morning that Pittsburgh general manager Kyle Dubas "simply loves" what Jiricek brings to the table as a young, highly-touted, right-shot defenseman.
We know that Dubas was in Cleveland this weekend to watch Jiricek, and Rossi reports that "no Penguins prospect is off limits as part of the package." That includes McGroarty, who the Penguins acquired in August for another top prospect, Brayden Yager, in a deal with the Winnipeg Jets. McGroarty, like Jiricek, as unhappy with his team and sought a fresh start elsewhere.
We also know, from a check of the NHL standings, that the Penguins are probably not a playoff team this year or anytime soon. They are last in the Metro division and have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, with a 7-12-4 mark. Their best players are well past their prime, their attendance is down more than it is for any other team in the NHL, and the proverbial wheels are falling off.
Meanwhile, McGroarty — who briefly started the season in Pittsburgh — has gotten off to a slow start with their AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. He has one goal and three assists in 12 points.
If Dubas loves Jiricek as much as Rossi reports, could McGroarty be dealt for the second time in three months? He was selected eight picks after Jiricek in 2022 (and just two picks after Denton Mateychuk), and would immediately jump to near the front of the line when it comes to forward prospects for a Blue Jackets team that is already solid in that department.
McGroarty would bring in another U of M guy into the fold. In the 2022-23 season, he was teammates with Adam Fantilli and Gavin Brindley.
For the Blue Jackets not to trade Jiricek at this point seems nearly out of the picture, but was on the ice for the Monsters in their Tuesday morning practice.
Stay tuned.
