Flyers sign recently acquired defenseman to $3 million contract

The Philadelphia Flyers and defenseman David Jiricek have agreed to a two-year, $3 million contract extension, carrying an annual average value of $1.5 million, the team announced Wednesday. The 22-year-old blue-liner was acquired at the March 6 trade deadline from the Minnesota Wild in exchange for forward Bobby Brink.

Since joining the organization, Jiricek has played 10 games with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, recording two goals and 10 points. He’s kept up the pace he showed with the Iowa Wild, scoring 10 points in 24 games and racking up 20 points in 34 AHL outings this season. At the NHL level this season, Jiricek appeared in 25 games with Minnesota, finishing with no points, 14 penalty minutes, 15 shots, eight hits, and 19 blocked shots.

Originally selected sixth overall in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 6-foot-4, 204-pound defenseman has accumulated 84 NHL games between Columbus and Minnesota, amassing two goals and 11 assists for 13 points. During his 149-game AHL career with Cleveland, Iowa, and Lehigh Valley, Jiricek has produced 19 goals and 68 assists for 87 points.

Internationally, the Czech native has represented his country five times, highlighted by a silver medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, where he was named Best Defenseman and earned All-Star Team honors.

Jiricek has yet to debut for Philadelphia at the NHL level and is expected to remain with Lehigh Valley for the remainder of the season, including potential playoff action. However, the one-way nature of his new contract indicates the Flyers’ expectation that he will compete for a full-time role with the team next season.