The month of June is almost here, and that means a couple things. First, a Stanley Cup champion will be decided for the 2023-24 season. Also, the 2024 NHL Entry Draft will soon follow. The first round of the draft will take place on Friday, June 28, and there is already a lot of speculation as to who the Washington Capitals will pick when the time comes. One name that comes up for the Caps’ pick at 17th overall is defenseman Adam Jiricek.
When looking at Washington’s recent drafts, the top picks have been forwards. Last offseason, the Caps selected Ryan Leonard with the eighth overall pick. The 2022 NHL Draft saw them take forward Ivan Miroshnichenko 20th overall. In fact, the last time that the Capitals took a defender in the first round was in 2018 when they drafted Alexander Alexeyev from the Red Deer Rebels in the Western Hockey League (WHL) (side note, they also used a second-round selection on a defenseman too, that being Martin Fehervary). There is the possibility that Washington goes with a forward again at pick 17, but it would not be the worst decision to use a first-round selection on Jiricek.
Growing Into a Draft-Eligible Talent
Jiricek was born on June 28, 2006 in Plzen, Czechia. His brother David currently plays as a defenseman in the Columbus Blue Jackets system, being drafted by them with the sixth overall pick in 2022. Adam played in a total of 31 games for Plzen HC of the Czech Extraliga in two seasons between 2022-23 and 2023-24. He accrued three assists in that span. Looking specifically at the pros of his game, Matthew Zator points out in Jiricek’s Draft Prospect Profile, “His strengths lie in his size, skating, mobility, and first pass. Similar to his brother David…he is a well-rounded two-way player that can be used in all situations from the power play to the penalty kill and everywhere in between. He isn’t shy about taking the body either.”
Jiricek seems like a Swiss Army knife when it comes to his ability on the ice. Most teams in the NHL could use adding someone of that caliber to their defense. Peter Baracchini also says on Jiricek in his 2024 NHL Mock Draft piece, “He plays at such a quick pace and his playmaking, mobility and speed stand out… his stock is valuable as a mobile defender with a strong two-way game.”
One of the negatives with Jiricek came months ago. During the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, he injured his knee in the first game against Team Slovakia. He was knocked out for the rest of the tournament. This has been a setback for him showcasing his game to scouts, which could impact where he goes come draft time. He was ranked as one of the best defenders in the entire 2024 NHL Draft prior to the injury, and he still will be, even though his draft position may drop. This will benefit many of the teams who might not have had the opportunity to add another strong defensive prospect to their pool of young players.
Falling Draft Stock and Boosting Defensive Depth
As mentioned in Jiricek’s Draft Prospect Profile by Zator, there is a possibility that he might not go as high as originally expected. He could slide down the board as the draft is taking place. This is due to Jiricek dealing with his World Junior knee injury. As tough of a situation that is for him and his draft stock, this could lead to him falling to the Caps at 17. Drafting Jiricek at 17 would be a potential steal considering his possible value is a top ten talent. There is a belief he could be a top-four defenseman in his career.
Looking at the Caps’ blue line right now, John Carlson is currently 34 years old. Eventually, he will be hanging up his skates, and that will be sooner rather than later. Fehervary has been a good defender for the Capitals and has many seasons to go. Alexeyev is 24 years old and can gain some more experience. He has played 72 games in his Caps career, amounting to a goal and seven assists for eight points. Rasmus Sandin is 24 and will be a future component for the organization. Nick Jensen, 33, is under contract for two more seasons. Then, looking at the defensive prospects, there is Ryan Chesley, who the Caps drafted in the second round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and is currently playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota in the NCAA. Also, there is Vincent Iorio, who is only 21 years old and is starting to get his feet wet with nine games so far in the league and one assist.
Related: 2024 NHL Draft: Baracchini’s Mock Draft
All this being said, the Capitals could use another significant prospect at the defensive position. Jiricek can eventually be a hole filled from a Carlson or Jensen departure. His stock falling is more related to injury and not as much about how good of a player he is. In fact, he is being compared to some solid current NHL defenders. Zator in his draft profile of Jiricek says, “All in all, he has a massive ceiling as a modern defensive defenseman like Devon Toews, Charlie McAvoy or Jaccob Slavin, defenders that are good all-around, can move the puck and provide solid no-nonsense play in their own zone.” Adding a player like a Toews, McAvoy, or Slavin would be perfect to help stabilize the backend for the Caps in the future. The following stats are the last three seasons from those three compared players mentioned.
Devon Toews:
- 2021-22: 13 goals and 44 assists for 57 points in 66 games
- 2022-23: seven goals and 43 assists for 50 points in 80 games
- 2023-24: 12 goals and 38 assists for 50 points in 82 games
Charlie McAvoy:
- 2021-22: 10 goals and 46 assists for 56 points in 78 games
- 2022-23: seven goals and 45 assists for 52 points in 67 games
- 2023-24: 12 goals and 35 assists for 47 points in 74 games
Jaccob Slavin:
- 2021-22: four goals and 38 assists for 42 points in 79 games
- 2022-23: seven goals and 20 assists for 27 points in 76 games
- 2023-24: six goals and 31 assists for 37 points in 81 games
The Colorado Avalanche, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes use these three as significant pieces to their teams. Washington could use another player like that, even with the other blue line pieces in place. It does not hurt to have a surplus of talent on defense.
Back to Jiricek, it is unfortunate that his draft stock may drop with the knee injury. However, if the Capitals select him in June, he will be a potentially big piece to the next era of hockey in D.C. The blue line could possibly feature him, Sandin, Chesley, and Iorio down the road. Overall, Jiricek is one of the names to consider for Washington when it comes to the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
