A big NHL trade in November? Are they allowed to do that?

Apparently they are. And while Saturday’s deal that sent David Jiricek from Columbus to Minnesota may not quite rise to the level of a certified blockbuster, it’s at least enough to be the November equivalent, and it’s a fascinating trade. Let’s dive into it a little deeper.

Bonus five: Thoughts on the Jiricek trade

5. I’m guessing Blue Jackets fans are fine with it — At least the ones who read me are, based on feedback from last week’s post in which I wondered what was up with the situation. Columbus fans were pretty clear on their answer: The kid wasn’t playing well and didn’t deserve to be eating regular NHL minutes. To get a solid package of picks in return for a player who wasn’t good enough to crack the roster isn’t bad work.

4. Jiricek’s skating was clearly an issue — That’s been the messaging out of Columbus, as Aaron breaks down here. I won’t pretend I’ve watched Jiricek closely enough to know whether the issues are fixable, although Bill Guerin is clearly betting they are. But it’s a fascinating reminder of how much the modern NHL has changed from even what the league was a decade ago — even a 6-foot-4 defenseman still has to be a smooth skater in today’s game.

3. It’s still a big risk by Don Waddell — Jiricek was the No. 6 pick in 2022, taken ahead of blueliners like Kevin Korchinski and Pavel Mintyukov. It’s rare to see teams give up on a player drafted that high that quickly, although Waddell wasn’t the GM who drafted him, so it’s easier for him to invoke the concept of sunk costs if he just doesn’t see a future.

2. It doesn’t change my view of the Wild right now, but it might change the deadline — As Guerin said, this deal is more of an investment in the future than an attempt to get better immediately. That’s not always the priority for teams playing as well as the Wild are right now, although you take the opportunities where you find them. The bigger potential impact on this year’s Wild might come at the trade deadline, when they won’t have their own first-round pick to move for short-term help.

1. I’m not picking a winner yet — That’s the coward’s way out, obviously, because readers expect to see trades evaluated immediately. Luckily for me, Corey’s already taken care of that — he thinks it’s a poor return for the Blue Jackets even as he doesn’t view Jiricek as a sure thing. I’m a little more positive on this from a Columbus perspective, since there’s value in making tough decisions early enough that they don’t transform into impossible ones. But ultimately, this is one of those moves, like last year’s Jamie Drysdale/Cutter Gauthier swap, where we’ll likely have to wait a few years before a clear winner emerges.

Let’s move on to the rankings, which are kind of a mess this week.