All eyes at Flyers training camp are going to land on David Jiricek, and for good reason. Philadelphia has another crowded fight on the blue line heading into the 2026-27 season, and the most pressure-packed spot is once again the last defense job up for grabs.
Last year’s camp battle never really turned into much of a contest. Veteran Noah Juulsen ended up beating out Helge Grans, who made too many mistakes in his own zone to convince first-year head coach Rick Tocchet. This time around, Tocchet enters his second season behind the bench with another group of young defensemen trying to grab one opening, and Simon Benoit has stepped in for the departed Juulsen.
That mix includes top prospect Oliver Bonk, a first-round pick in 2023, along with Jiricek, the former sixth overall pick from 2022. At 22, Jiricek has one major hurdle that gives him an edge over some of the others: he is no longer waivers-exempt.
If the Flyers waive him and cut him loose, another NHL team could claim him for nothing. That would leave Philadelphia having traded a player like Bobby Brink for no return.
Jiricek, though, sounds like a player ready to get to work, and the Flyers are talking like they expect more from him.
"We don’t have many guys like you here, so shoot the puck. That’s maybe why I am in Philly," Jiricek told The Athletic at the NHLPA European Player Tour in Munich.
"I try to make it work. I try to shoot as much as I can right now, and shoot everything.
If I have a pass for one-timers, I’m going to shoot it.
"Camp is quick this year, really quick," Jiricek said. "We have just four games in preseason, so you have to start from the first day (of) training camp as game-ready, I would say. That's the plan."
Jiricek knows what’s in front of him. He’s now with his third organization in four years, and his NHL résumé still reads light: 85 career games, two goals, 11 assists and 13 points, with none of those points coming on the power play.
The draft hype around him was always tied to his 6-foot-4 frame, heavy shot and calm puck skills. The issue has been mobility, and that was made harder by the ACL injury he suffered in his draft year.
But his first stop in the Flyers system gave the organization something to build on. After joining the team in March, Jiricek was strong with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, putting up two goals, 11 assists and 13 points in just 15 games. That blew past the 10 points he had in 24 games with the Iowa Wild.
The Flyers want that momentum to carry over.
"He had a really good stint in Lehigh Valley. He proved that he's ready for the next level.
For him, it's gonna be a battle for ice time. It's going to be up to him.
Big summer for him. Yeah, he needs waivers.
We're aware of that, and he's going to get a good look, and we hope that he's ready for it," Flyers GM Danny Briere told The Hockey News in a June Q&A.
"We feel he's ready for it, but he's going to have to show it on the ice. We know the offense is there, the big shot is there, the size is there, and that's just for him to round out his game, where he becomes a player that the coaches trust every night."
Tocchet is looking for the same thing, and he’s made it clear that the shortened camp is going to force quick decisions. In his view, Jiricek is in a race with Bonk, Hunter McDonald and Ty Murchison for that spot.
"The (short camp) does complicate it because we don’t have time to look at guys. You’ve got to make your mind up fairly quick," Tocchet told The Athletic in a recent interview.
"Jiricek, we want that big shot. Can he add that to us, and (have) patience with the puck...
Four guys that have a chance. It’s a matter of who can get there quickest."
That clock is already ticking louder for Jiricek than for the others. The Flyers believe he can win the race.
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