Jan 18, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Wild defenseman David Jiricek (55) celebrates his goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
VOORHEES, N.J. -- The Flyers started the trade deadline making a rare, player-for-player hockey trade.
The Flyers traded winger Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild for defenseman David Jiricek.
Brink was the odd man out in a logjam of wingers in the Flyers organization, as the team needs to open an eventual spot for top prospect, Porter Martone, who could play games for the Flyers as soon as this season, depending on how long Michigan State's season goes in the NCAA tournament.
Brink, 24, was a second round pick for the Flyers in 2019 and had established himself over the last two seasons as a reliable winger, mostly playing on the right wing alongside Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster.
However, after Foerster's injury, the line's play sagged, and it became apparent, that if the Flyers were going to move a player off the NHL roster, Brink was a prime candidate and multiple teams had interest.
Sources indicated to On Pattison earlier this week that Brink was a very real possibility to get moved at the deadline.
Minnesota gave the Flyers the best offer, beating out Tampa Bay, who was also hot on the Brink market, by offering up Jiricek, who will be making his way to his third organization since being drafted sixth overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022.
Jiricek, 22, was originally traded to Minnesota in 2024 for multiple draft picks, including a conditional first rounder, after there was some friction about opportunity to play at the NHL Level in Columbus.
David Jiricek with a FILTHY move to find Yakov Trenin and the #mnwild take a 2-1 lead! pic.twitter.com/jzJwtNxxqc
The Wild didn't exactly afford Jiricek a huge opportunity at the NHL level either, as he only played in 31 games for Minnesota across two seasons.
A still young and developing defenseman with promise, the Flyers will likely plug Jiricek right into the lineup, especially if they trade Rasmus Ristolainen before the 3PM deadline.
At 6-4 and a right-hand shot, Jiricek has many of the same attributes as Ristolainen and would be a replacement for him in the lineup.
He is known as a rangy defenseman with a heavy shot from the point. The Flyers were interested in Jiricek at the 2022 draft, but chose Cutter Gauthier instead one pick before Columbus took the big Czech defenseman.
We all know how that one turned out...
