With the 16th pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the St. Louis Blues selected defenseman Adam Jiříček from Plzen HC and Czechia. An injury this season likely dropped him outside of the top 10 and the Blues pounced on him.
General manager Doug Armstrong went back into the European well for another first-round selection. Let’s get into why this selection makes a lot of sense.
Adam Jiříček (Pick No. 16) (6-foot-3, 178 pounds) (Plzen HC, Czech Extraliga)
Central Scouting Ranking (Europe): 4th / THW Ranking (Horn): 16th
Jiříček has good size at 6-foot-3 and played in 31 games at the higher level league in Czechia over the past two seasons. He’s been injured since the World Juniors and that likely affected his draft stock overall.
Many will view this as a steal given the fact that he was expected to be a top-10 pick in the early stages of this draft cycle. The Blues need to continue to add blueliners to their prospect pipeline and they’ve now taken two in the first round in the past two drafts (Theo Lindstein, 2023). This is undoubtedly a quality selection.
Overview: What Jiříček Does Well
Jiříček has quality size, skill, skating, and decision-making that stand out over anything else. If he can fill out and gain some weight, he could be a force from the back end with his height and ability to throw his body.
He’s got a ton of talent and it’s rare that a player like this could fall outside of the top 10. His ceiling is very high for a player who was taken 16th. Our very own Matthew Zator said this about him, ” 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.” Blues fans should be excited about this pick.
Overview: What Jiříček Needs to Work On
Jiříček has a heavy shot, but he struggles to find the net from the point, which must be improved upon as he eventually reaches the NHL level. The Blues have seen the effect of this from Colton Parayko, who has a similar shooting profile in the sense that he struggles with accuracy.
Folks have also called out his skating style. It could use some improvement, but the Blues likely know this and will look to work with him on it. These weaknesses aren’t major by any stretch, which is why the club should excited about the opportunity to develop him.
Scout and Draft Analyst Thoughts
Scouts and draft analysts are very high on Jiříček’s prospect profile. There’s a clear reason why he fell in this draft, but it won’t stop the Blues from believing in him.
“Adam Jiříček is a well-rounded, two-way defenseman who doesn’t excel at one certain skill but plays a polished game. He’s not as aggressive as his older brother David but doesn’t shy away from physical play and has the potential to be a solid all-around top-four defenseman at the NHL level.”
Matej Deraj, McKeen’s Hockey
“Playing against men, Adam Jiricek looks like a functional player at both ends of the ice. He played with hesitation in this game, which can be a bit of an issue at times because he is so often trying to keep mistakes to a minimum.”
Tony Ferrari, The Hockey
“Jiříček has the makings of a modern two-way defenceman, in a similar vein with his brother. It starts with his aggressive mindset. Jiříček is always looking to get involved and contribute in all three zones, whether it’s by pinching to keep the play alive in the offensive end or by activating from the point, with or without the puck.”
Lassi Alanen, Elite Prospects (from ‘Future Vision: Adam Jiříček’s two-way prowess makes him a potential top pick in the 2024 NHL draft’, EPRinkside, 9/1/23)
The Blues did well in the first round and they have many picks to go as the draft continues from the Las Vegas sphere. I’m excited to see how Jiříček develops in the system.
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