Former No. 6 overall pick David Jiricek highlights wave of recalls by Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets, with three games remaining in the regular season, have added five players to their roster from the minor leagues. Jake Christiansen, David Jiricek, Joshua Dunne, Trey Fix-Wolansky and Carson Meyer have all been recalled under emergency conditions, giving them a wave of reinforcements ahead of Tuesday night's game.

Columbus is in Philadelphia to take on the Flyers in a game that matters only for draft lottery seeding. The Blue Jackets are tied for last in the league with the Chicago Blackhawks, meaning if they want the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick, they’ll have to lose over the next few days.

The quintet of players are all relatively young, though Jiricek is the crown jewel. The 19-year-old appears as though he’ll push for a regular spot in the Columbus lineup as soon as next season after transitioning to North American professional hockey with ease. In 52 games with the Cleveland Monsters, the 2022 sixth-overall pick scored 38 points.

Because he has only suited up three times with the Blue Jackets so far, his contract is guaranteed to slide forward to next season, giving the team more control. Jiricek will not reach restricted free agency until 2026.