The Philadelphia Flyers made an interesting move on the morning of the NHL’s trade deadline. They dealt forward Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defensive prospect David Jiříček, who was drafted sixth overall in 2022.
This one-for-one swap deserves a small breakdown. Let’s take a look.
What the Flyers Are Losing in Brink
On paper, this seems like a good return for the Flyers. They have a surplus of wingers, and trading Brink opens up the door for Matvei Michkov to play on the right side again. But the Wild are getting quite the player here.
Related: THW’s 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Brink is the type of forward that coaches love. While he’s undersized, he plays both ends of the ice and has 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in 55 games this season. The Minnesota native is the perfect middle-six winger, bringing an all-around toolkit.
There’s also the fact that Brink is still 24 years old. He’s just beginning his prime, and better yet, he comes at a very affordable $1.5 million price tag. Minnesota will have to negotiate a new contract in the summer, as he’s a restricted free agent, but they’re getting a steal at least for right now.
Players like Brink don’t grow on trees. This move could be a good one for the Flyers, which we’ll get into. But that’s far from a guarantee.
What Jiříček Can Bring to Philadelphia
Some fans wanted the Flyers to draft Jiříček with their fifth-overall pick in 2022, making this a full-circle moment. However, this is the 22-year-old’s second time being traded, so he’s a reclamation project of sorts.
Jiříček has played 84 games in the NHL, but the results haven’t been great. Across his stints with the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Wild, he had a sub-45% expected goal share at 5-on-5. Furthermore, in 25 games for the Wild this season, he wasn’t able to register a point.
So, what exactly makes Jiříček a player to bet on? Let’s examine some pros and cons.
Starting with the pros, Jiříček is more than capable of quarterbacking a power play. He got almost an entire two minutes to work some magic in this American Hockey League (AHL) clip with the Iowa Wild and generated plenty of chances.
Nice PP sequence from David Jiricek (IA55)pic.twitter.com/oKeJkiL7zi
— Justin Giampietro (@justingiam) March 6, 2026
It’s not hard to envision Jiříček’s offensive game working out at the NHL level. He has good instincts and creates havoc in the opponent’s zone.
At 6-foot-4 and 204 pounds, size works in the youngster’s favor. He has a long stick, which allows him to be aggressive when necessary. There are tools here to suggest Jiříček can become a No. 2–3 defenseman in the NHL, even if he has a lot of work to do.
Then, there are the cons. As you might have noticed in the power-play clip, skating is not one of Jiříček’s strong suits. It never has been. You don’t need to be the best skater to find success as a defenseman, but it’s definitely notable.
Also, Jiříček’s defense is not a strength. He can be developed into a more reliable defender, but at this stage, that side of his game is a big work in progress.
The Tocchet Question
What makes this move particularly interesting—or concerning—is the presence of head coach Rick Tocchet. The way I see it, he does not like these types of players. Jiříček can’t exactly “reclaim” himself if the coach doesn’t like the cut of his jib.
At this very moment, Jiříček is in the AHL with Lehigh Valley Phantoms bench boss John Snowden. This may be for the best, as it can allow the 22-year-old to get big minutes in a system that can prepare him for the demands of Tocchet and his staff.
Overall, it’s hard to declare the Flyers a “winner” of this trade as it stands. They’re taking a gamble on Jiříček’s upside—let’s see if it pays off for them.
Stats courtesy of Hockey Stats
