Prospect Info: David Jiříček, RHD (via CBJ - 6thOA, 2020)

[f7ben]

That's what the reports say. Still though, he seems to fall down less than Boldy does. That's worth something.

Boldy is just quicker at getting to the fall down areas on the ice!!

 

[Circulartheory]

I think the trouble with his skating is agility and edges rather than speed. Straight line, he looks fine and does well. It's in tight spaces that I want to keep my eye on him and get a better idea of what he's got right now, and needs to work on.

Reminds me of Bogosian. Fine in stride but its his pivots. Good thing is, he's only 21. There's room to work with here over 2 summers.

 

[MNRube]

I don’t believe he is only 6’3. He looks absolutely massive.

 

[DigitalBoldy]

I used to have issues with Middleton’s skating not that long ago and that is much improved. Hopefully, Jiricek can follow that path.

 

[Sweetnut]

He has the largest feet in the history of hockey, that's the thing.

 

[NHL1674]

He has the largest feet in the history of hockey, that's the thing.

Big feet, big.......hockey stick?

 

[Al Lagoon]

He has the largest feet in the history of hockey, that's the thing.

Even bigger than James Sheppard?

 

[Jbcraig1883]

Even bigger than James Sheppard?

No one is bigger than James Sheppard, especially 5 year old James Sheppard.

 

[Nino Noderreiter]

I continue to be impressed with Jiricek and I think it may be true that he plays better in the NHL with better players. The reason for this is that more players in the NHL have the awareness and capability to fill into this defensive spot when he jumps up and I think playing in generally a more structured game is probably easier to read from a standpoint of jumping up into plays.

 

[MuckOG]

No one is bigger than James Sheppard, especially 5 year old James Sheppard.

5? My god, Sheppard had huge feet at the age of 3 (when he started playing hockey).

 

[57special]

I continue to be impressed with Jiricek and I think it may be true that he plays better in the NHL with better players. The reason for this is that more players in the NHL have the awareness and capability to fill into this defensive spot when he jumps up and I think playing in generally a more structured game is probably easier to read from a standpoint of jumping up into plays.

I wonder how many others in Iowa could do better elsewhere. The team is crap, and players seem to underperform there. BG needs to make a change in the coaching staff, pronto.

 

[thestonedkoala]

I wonder how many others in Iowa could do better elsewhere. The team is crap, and players seem to underperform there. BG needs to make a change in the coaching staff, pronto.

Nope. Not until the end of the season. And I think they did change some coaching staff. But this is what their third or fourth coach in Iowa?

 

[57special]

Nope. Not until the end of the season. And I think they did change some coaching staff. But this is what their third or fourth coach in Iowa?

Tim Army was the previous coach there, and had 5 seasons with them. McLean is in his 2nd year. Both years have been very bad. Last year they were tied for 30th in a 32 team league. This year they are 28th, though the winning % this year is significantly worse than last year's, .431 to .382.

Is the talent really that bad, or is he just a crap coach? Players like Wallstedt and Walker have regressed under him, and other players like Milne and Bankier don't seem to be progressing. the only ones who seem to do OK is AHL vets, but they have more or less proven that they aren't NHL'ers, and it's not like they are excelling in Iowa compared to other stops in the AHL. In general, the team and it's players are performing very poorly.

This is Mclean's 1st HC job. If he is derailing the prospect's development down there then you get him out of there ASAP, and get a proven coach.

 

[thestonedkoala]

This is Mclean's 1st HC job. If he is derailing the prospect's development down there then you get him out of there ASAP, and get a proven coach.

Like who? Most proven coaches end up moving to better gigs.

 

[57special]

Like who? Most proven coaches end up moving to better gigs.

Why don't you do some work for a change instead asking others to do it?

 

[BagHead]

Tim Army was the previous coach there, and had 5 seasons with them. McLean is in his 2nd year. Both years have been very bad. Last year they were tied for 30th in a 32 team league. This year they are 28th, though the winning % this year is significantly worse than last year's, .431 to .382.

Is the talent really that bad, or is he just a crap coach? Players like Wallstedt and Walker have regressed under him, and other players like Milne and Bankier don't seem to be progressing. the only ones who seem to do OK is AHL vets, but they have more or less proven that they aren't NHL'ers, and it's not like they are excelling in Iowa compared to other stops in the AHL. In general, the team and it's players are performing very poorly.

This is Mclean's 1st HC job. If he is derailing the prospect's development down there then you get him out of there ASAP, and get a proven coach.

Well, the MN Wild had a bad PP, of which McLean was the coach, and then to solve that issue they removed McLean and made him head coach in Iowa instead, and now Iowa is bad. I'm of the opinion that, typically, a good coach can't make a bad team good, but a bad coach can make a good team bad, and McLean has had two opportunities and two failures with the Wild, so... bad coach?

 

[AKL]

Well, the MN Wild had a bad PP, of which McLean was the coach, and then to solve that issue they removed McLean and made him head coach in Iowa instead, and now Iowa is bad. I'm of the opinion that, typically, a good coach can't make a bad team good, but a bad coach can make a good team bad, and McLean has had two opportunities and two failures with the Wild, so... bad coach?

To play devils advocate here, I don't think our PP has been markedly better after he left

I think Iowa has a player personnel issue as much as it has a coaching issue. Doesn't help that a lot of the veterans they signed have spent most of the season in Minnesota.

 

[thestonedkoala]

Why don't you do some work for a change instead asking others to do it?

I have and then I've gotten a lot of push back on that. You win some, you lose some.

Honestly Morin or Fortunus from the Texas Stars might be an option. And Fortunus has ties with Minnesota.

I'd also toss the entire development team in the sun. But since they just got hire probably not

 

[MNRube]

They need better vets. Shore & Jones have been up with the big club most the year. Gaunce is a good AHLer, but they need more of his types. Especially on the blueline where our efforts to develop Peart, ROR & Lambos have likely hindered the team’s success. I’m sure the coaching and systems and maybe even the culture/chemistry aren’t ideal either, but the roster could definitely be upgraded.

Aside from Wallstedt, all the important guys, like Rossi & Ohgren, have developed well there. Maybe the emphasis is on development instead of winning. Who knows

 

[Jbcraig1883]

5? My god, Sheppard had huge feet at the age of 3 (when he started playing hockey).

Damn, I thought the quote was 5. My memory is shit.

 

[BagHead]

To play devils advocate here, I don't think our PP has been markedly better after he left

I think Iowa has a player personnel issue as much as it has a coaching issue. Doesn't help that a lot of the veterans they signed have spent most of the season in Minnesota.

Yeah, it hasn't improved much. 24th this year, 10th last year (nice!). With McLean's last two years in Minnesota it was 15th (the year he was fired for it), and 18th. So, overall it was at least more consistently mediocre under him.

You're right, might be a personnel thing... in both places, MN PP and Iowa team.

 

[57special]

The Iowa team is awful. One of the worst teams in the entire AHL for the past two years. Time to stop making excuses for the coach. Other teams also have injuries, and call ups. MacLean makes Army look like a genius.