Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Ivan Provorov on pending UFA, David Jiricek gets HS diploma
Ivan Provorov might have a new contract extension if he played somewhere else.
The Blue Jackets defenseman is in his prime at 27, plays a solid two-way style, can quarterback a power-play unit and has played 614 NHL games for the Philadelphia Flyers (532) and Blue Jackets (82), who acquired him in June 2023 as part of a three-team trade.
More: Blue Jackets color analyst Jody Shelley chosen as analyst for Prime Monday Night Hockey
The Blue Jackets also have $24.7 million in salary-cap space available with a full 23-man roster signed before an expected $5 million boost to the NHL’s $88 million ceiling in 2025-26. Money shouldn’t be an issue if the Jackets want to keep Provorov, but their depth chart could be.
The Blue Jackets have several young left-handed defensemen at various stages of their careers, and some may become candidates to fill a projected void left by Provorov on the left side of the second pairing. Rookie Denton Mateychuk is mentioned most for that role, but the Jackets also have Jordan Harris (Patrik Laine trade), Jake Christiansen and Stanislav Svozil as potential replacement options.
That's primarily why all options for the Blue Jackets remain open with Provorov, which is less than ideal for him starting what could be his final season in Columbus.
“Whoever says that it’s not in their mind even a little bit is lying,” he said. “Obviously, as a player, you want to know what’s going to happen. At the same time, I’m just trying to take one day at a time and try to make the most out of what’s in front of me, and the opportunities that I get."
Don Waddell, who became the Blue Jackets’ president of hockey operations/general manager in May, hasn’t discussed Provorov’s situation with the defenseman or his representatives with International Sports Advisors Inc. – Mark Gandler and Todd Diamond.
After playing all 82 games last season, Provorov finished with five goals, 27 assists, 32 points and a –11 plus/minus rating while averaging 22:10 per game in ice time. His career scoring line is 70-179-249 with 10-44-54 added during power plays.
Drafted seventh overall in 2015, one spot ahead of Zach Werenski, Provorov has become a steady top four defenseman who could play an increased role on another team's top pairing. He could also slide to the third pairing for a Stanley Cup contender and instantly add quality depth.
He’s just not ready to think about those options yet.
“I’m just coming out here and enjoying myself, trying to make the most out of every day, whether it’s practice, a game or even a day off the ice and I’m doing something in the gym. I’m just trying to help the team any way I can to win games. The better the team does, the better everybody does individually too.”
Columbus Blue Jackets' David Jiricek earned diploma, put smile on mom's face
David Jiricek, who’s partnering with Provorov on the second defense pairing, arrived in Columbus from Czechia a little bit later than he’d originally planned.
Jiricek, 20, made it back about two weeks before training camp, but not before graduating high school in his home country. Jiricek’s agent, Allan Walsh, called Waddell with the update and the Jackets’ new GM was glad to hear it. More importantly, Jiricek’s mother was also pleased.
“It was time, you know?” Jiricek said. “My mom was happy, so that was good.”
Jiricek was selected sixth overall in the 2022 NHL draft in Montreal and began his career the following season in North America. His mother and girlfriend moved from Czechia to be with him in Cleveland and help Jiricek's transition to playing on a new continent, but his expedited hockey career left him without a high school diploma.
“It’s not like here,” he said. “(In Czechia), you just get a diploma, and you just go (work). Some guys go to college. Most guys go to work. For hockey players, it’s (delayed) almost every time for Czechs. In the NHL, you have many guys without high school (degrees), just staying here trying to (take) that path to the NHL. I have it done now, so, that was important for me to get that done. I need to have all my things finished, so that was a great feeling.”
Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets notes: Provorov's future, Jiricek graduates
