Find it interesting that anyone think he has as much value as Willander. I personally don’t want this cry baby on the Canucks unless he is a low cost and low risk acquisition. He should step up and prove himself and talk less.
No way I trade Willander for him.
I’m not going that far, but I do agree that he’s not as valuable as
Willander, who is having a great season on both ends of the ice.
Willander is going to be cheaper for longer, skates like the wind, and has size on top of it.
Jiricek, though, is a player I think would be a great building block for the
Canucks. I’d be willing to part with a significant prospect for the chance to acquire him.
I’m not 100% sure what the Blue Jackets are looking for, but if they’re after a similar “star” prospect, I’d be somewhat reluctant yet willing to trade someone like
Lekkerimaki for
Jiricek.
On paper, I feel that’s fair considering
Lekkerimaki is developing at a significant pace as a prospect, while
Jiricek’s progression has slowed a bit. Both are considered high-end players.
If Columbus wants more of an NHL-ready package, maybe something like
Hoglander and a
first-round pick for
Jiricek could work. That might fit their system better, giving them a good but occasionally frustrating player in
Hoglander, who has huge potential to grow as a replacement.