It certainly feels like the Blue Jackets are at a crossroads with Jiricek. That’s not to say he’s worthy of bust status or even that he has lost his top-tier prospect status. What we have is a player that seemingly hasn’t improved in his 53 career NHL games. To make matters worse, a public spat last season could be a contributing factor as to why he hasn’t been sent to Cleveland yet.
At 20 years old, Jiricek still has plenty of time to round out his game. Sometimes, he’s too aggressive and leaves his teammates out to dry defensively.