Blue Jackets rookie David Jiricek on track for NHL debut Friday: 'There's a lot to like'

and is listed as day-to-day. Blankenburg will step back into the lineup when ready, and somebody will get scratched unless coach Brad Larsen opts to play seven defensemen and 11 forwards.

The Blue Jackets need Jiricek to play regularly, regardless of what league, so the logical plan after Blankenburg returns would be keeping Gavin Bayreuther, a 28-year-old with NHL experience, as the seventh defenseman and sending Jiricek back to Cleveland.“Whether he’ll never look back and never go back to the , I’m not sure about that at this point, but you never know,” Clark said. “If he steps in and he’s ready, he’s ready. We’ll find a spot for the guys who are ready.

Offensively, he led all Monsters defensemen with four points on four assists while getting time on the power play. Defensively, he’s handling the frenetic pace better each game and shows a keen hockey IQ. Jiricek is also a right-handed shot, like Blankenburg, which means he could be used right on the second defense pairing with left-handed Vladislav Gavrikov or even the top pairing with left-handed Zach Werenski. The latter assignment, however, might be a bit much to ask for a guy making his NHL debut at 18.“You look at him and he checks a lot of the boxes with his size, and he’s still young,” Larsen said. “I think his best game was his last game against St. Louis.

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