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New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) With the rapid evolution of channels like quick-commerce and the emergence of ONDC, the Indian retail industry is 'cautiously optimistic' for 2025, in which new-age technologies such as AI and automation will play a crucial role, driving efficiency and personalisation. The New Year could be a period of transformation for the Indian retail industry, one of the fastest-growing globally, where the contemporary retail landscape is rapidly evolving, influenced by the preferences of digital-first generation Gen Z and retail tech. Also Read | Kolkata Fatafat Result Today: Kolkata FF Result for December 30, 2024 Declared, Check Winning Numbers and Result Chart of Satta Matka-Type Lottery Game. Helped by tailwinds such as rising disposable income, rapid urbanisation, the rise of non-metro tier II cities, and growing middle class along with a digitally-savvy consumer base, the organised retail sector is poised to grow expanding its play further with a customer-centric approach. "FY25 is likely to see continued focus on building supply chain efficiencies, along with upgrades to logistics hubs and tracking systems to meet fast delivery demands. Employment generation in quick commerce, logistics, and related sectors is also expected to continue," said EY India Tax Leader for Retail Practice Paresh Parekh. Also Read | Shillong Teer Results Today, December 30 2024: Winning Numbers, Result Chart for Shillong Morning Teer, Shillong Night Teer, Khanapara Teer, Juwai Teer and Jowai Ladrymbai. Indian consumers, influenced by global exposure and digital technologies, are prioritising higher quality and value for money. This has resulted in a shift in spending from luxuries to essentials or more affordable options. "Despite these challenges, the outlook for 2025 remains positive, driven by demographic trends, urbanisation, digital growth, and the aspirations of a young, dynamic middle class," he said. Parekh expects an increase in foreign investments in the retail sector and a continuance of consolidation led by PE firms and strategic acquisitions. According to the Retailers Association of India (RAI), the Indian retail sector in 2024 has witnessed a mix of challenges and opportunities. "Growth was subdued in the first half, with marginal consumption increases and cautious consumer spending. Many retailers struggled to achieve like-for-like growth, reflecting shifting consumer priorities," said its CEO Kumar Rajagopalan adding "Despite this, the year also brought innovation and resilience." Retailers have embraced technology to enhance operations and customer experience and initiatives like ONDC are creating exciting new opportunities, particularly in reaching untapped markets. "Looking ahead, the sector remains cautiously optimistic. The festive and wedding seasons have boosted momentum, and with strategic planning, retailers can sustain growth into 2025," he said. The Indian retail sector contributes around 10 per cent to its GDP and according to the latest annual report of leading retailer, Reliance it is expected to cross USD 1.4 trillion by 2027. It is also poised to become the third-largest market by 2030. Over the emergence of quick commerce, Deloitte India partner, consumer products and retail sector Anand Ramanathan said it is a "viable business model" and it is here to stay. 2024 has been disruptive for the retail sector, which besides the emergence of quick commerce, also saw the revival of mass consumption and the value retail segment for the first time since the pandemic. "100 million middle-income households will be added this decade to the economy. 2025 will continue to see the impact of this growth in middle-income households with further momentum in mass consumption. This will have a positive impact across sectors including fashion, home and food services," said Ramanathan. Puneet Mansukhani Sector Head - Retail KPMG said in 2024 retailers faced significant challenges due to inflation impacting profitability and supply chain disruptions. "These issues required strategic pricing adjustments and innovative solutions to maintain smooth operations. The festive season did see some uptake as compared to the previous year but overall the customer was cautious. "The ecommerce spend in the tier 2 and 3 cities was stronger than urban and the trend is likely to continue which makes the retailers feel bullish and optimistic in 2025," he said. Over the outlook for 2025 for the retail industry, he said continued advancements in AI and automation are "expected to drive efficiency and personalisation" in retail, enhancing customer engagement and operational efficiency. Moreover "increased use of data analytics will enable more personalised shopping experiences, catering to individual consumer preferences," he said. Retailers will likely focus more on sustainability and transparency in their supply chains, responding to consumer demand for ethical practices. However, Mansukhani also hinted towards economic uncertainty and said "Inflation and economic volatility may continue to pose challenges, affecting consumer spending patterns." (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)Inverurie Locos boss Dean Donaldson questioned the mentality of his side despite fighting back from two down to draw 2-2 with Buckie Thistle at Victoria Park. Marcus Goodall and Sam Pugh struck early on for the Breedon Highland League champions, but Calum Dingwall and Callum Duncan responded for the Railwaymen. Inverurie are fourth in the table with this point moving them above Banks o’ Dee, who have two games in hand. Donaldson said: “I’m angry with the first half and how we started. The mentality isn’t right, boys moaning about being in certain positions and moaning about it being tough. “Although I’m delighted with the character we’ve shown to come back, we can’t be giving any team a two-goal start. “The character is pleasing, but if it isn’t for the likes of Paul Coutts, Mark Souter, Calum Dingwall and Zack Ellis we probably lose by a few goals. “Boys are showing up and they’re just happy to be playing and that mentality is never going to be good enough. “We need to start games properly, we can’t just float about and think we’re football players, you need to win your battles first.” Big decisions frustrate MacKinnon and manager Lewis MacKinnon was disappointed they gave up their lead. He also felt Inverurie could have been reduced to 10 men in the second half with the score at 2-2 when Paul Coutts tripped Jack MacIver at the edge of box. Coutts was booked with referee Robert Mackinnon ruling it wasn’t a clear goalscoring opportunity because Milosz Ochmanski was covering. Buckie’s MacKinnon added: “Surrendering a two-goal lead is disappointing, particularly given the chances we missed in the second half. “There were a couple of key moments that didn’t go for us. There was a clear goalscoring opportunity denied which everyone in the ground saw accept the man that counts. “I also thought Andrew MacAskill was wiped out in the box after winning a header, but we got a corner rather than a penalty. “We don’t seem to be getting those decisions this season. I didn’t like the goals we lost, but we had enough chances to win it.” Match action After a minute Buckie goalkeeper Mark Ridgers denied Cole Anderson from six yards. Then in the seventh minute the Jags took the lead as Goodall headed home MacIver’s cross from the right. Five minutes later Pugh’s superb shot from 20 yards nestled in the top left corner to make it 2-0 to the hosts. However, in the 14th minute Inverurie pulled a goal back. Dingwall found the bottom right corner from the edge of the box after Thomas Reid’s cross from the right wasn’t cleared. In the 52nd minute a tremendous 20-yard strike into the bottom left corner from Locos midfielder Duncan restored parity. Both sides had chances to win this absorbing encounter. Inverurie’s Ryan Park headed straight at Ridgers from eight yards, while in the closing stages Buckie’s Liam Harvey and Darryl McHardy failed to hit the target from similar range as it finished level. Elsewhere, frost meant Huntly v Fraserburgh was postponed. Brora Rangers 1-2 Clachnacuddin Brora Rangers’ pursuit of Breedon Highland League leaders Brechin City suffered a blow when Clachnacuddin stormed back from a goal down to win 2-1 and surge into third spot. Steven Mackay’s second-placed team remain seven points behind City but have just one fixture in hand. , albeit having played two more games. Craig MacKenzie fired Brora in front early on, but Clach rallied. Troy Cooper’s superb equaliser in the second half was what Clach’s efforts merited before James Anderson headed them to maximum points. This fixture came just under two months in the North of Scotland Cup final. However, a much closer contest was always expected here – and so it proved for a team on the rise. Brora made two changes from the side which won through to the quarter-finals of the R Davidson (Banchory) Highland League Cup on penalties against Formartine United at the weekend. In came Tom Kelly and George Robeston for Max Ewan and James Wallace. Visiting manager Conor Gethins, whose team beat Lossiemouth 5-1 to halt a mini-dip on Saturday, handed a start to 20-year-old Ross County goalkeeper Logan Ross, who came in on an emergency loan. Ali Gillies, Rorie MacLeod and Troy Cooper were also promoted to the starting 11. Match action It took just seven minutes for the Sutherland side to open the scoring as MacKenzie rifled home a first-time strike when he connected with a teasing, back-post Kelly cross. Clach responded well and ex-Brora ace Andrew Macrae and Rorie MacLeod flashed terrific efforts just too high within that spell. Brora upped their attacking work as the first half advanced and Shane Sutherland was not far off with a close-range drive, which Ross seemed to have covered as the ball spun just wide. The Merkinchers began on the front foot in the second half, and it took a decent stop from home goalkeeper Danny Gillan to prevent Macrae making a scoring return. At the other end, former Caley Thistle and Elgin City forward Sutherland showed his class with a swift turn and shot from inside the box, but it swerved beyond the left post. However, it was level on the hour mark when Cooper stepped in from the left flank and guided a curling effort beyond the reach of Gillan into the net. More drama followed on 71 minutes when striker Anderson headed home the winner at the back post from a smart Craig Lawrie delivery. This Saturday, Brora host Forres Mechanics, while it’s a derby for Clach at Nairn County.
Nvidia is growing faster than you think. This table proves it
OTTAWA—The RCMP says it has “contingency plans” to deploy more Mounties to the Canada-U.S. border but needs answers from the Liberal government about how much more it intends to spend on additional drones, helicopters or other technology to surveil it. The Trudeau government says it has not yet “finalized” those decisions as it fended off Opposition criticism it is too slow to act to counter incoming president Donald Trump’s threat of 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian products on his first day in office. RCMP Comm. Michael Duheme told reporters there are two “parallel” tracks to the Mounties’ plans — one contingent on how many illegal immigrants might be “removed” from America by an incoming Trump administration and drive a northward surge into Canada, and the other contingent on how much new technology the Liberal government will fund. Speaking after he testified at a public safety committee, the top Mountie said he is not opposed to expanding the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) mandate into the RCMP’s jurisdiction over territory between official border points of entry, as the border guards’ union has called for. “I think we have to do what’s right, to secure the borders. So if that’s increasing authorities to CBSA, I mean, that’s a discussion I would have” with the head of the CBSA and the government, Duheme said. He said it would be a “longer-term” move, “but I think we have to explore different ways of doing things.” Meanwhile, Duheme said the RCMP needs the “nimbleness” to reassign resources where needed, and he will deploy cadets from the RCMP training academy in Regina — as the national police force did in 2014 to provide additional security following the Parliament Hill attacks. “What you saw in Roxham Road (where migrants crossed illegally near Lacolle, Que.) may not repeat itself,” said Duheme. “It might come somewhere else, right? So that’s one thing, but on the parallel track is the planning a way forward with the asks that we’ve put in ... and the resources required to do it.” Defence Minister Bill Blair told the Star Monday night that Canadian Forces may be able to supply surveillance drones and other technological aids, but that soldiers would not be deployed to the border. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Chrystia Freeland — who co-chairs the Canada-U.S. cabinet committee — met with Opposition leaders Tuesday to brief them on the government’s work to address the Trump threat, and on Trudeau’s and LeBlanc’s trip to Trump’s resort at Mar-a-Lago on Friday. Trudeau and LeBlanc discussed trade and the border over dinner with the president-elect at his Freeland later said she was not upset at not being included on the trip, and said “it was the right choice. The meeting was principally about the border. That is what was very clear from the conversation that the prime minister had with the president ahead of time.” Freeland called for a “Team Canada” approach to dealing with Trump, repeating a message she delivered to premiers last week, that it is “important for us to take care not to negotiate against ourselves.” However, when Trudeau’s Commons opponents emerged, they did not offer full-throated support for his efforts. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he would take a “Canada first” approach,” stress the harm that tariffs would have on Canada and the U.S. and he put the blame for Canada’s problems with Trump squarely at Trudeau’s feet, a line of attack he continued in the Commons. “Whether one thinks that President Trump’s tariff threats are a negotiating tactic or a real plan, what we do know is what we can control. The prime minister has lost control of everything” including borders and control of immigration, he said. Poilievre said Trudeau is an unpopular leader in an “unbearably weak position” to counter Trump, and demanded an election to replace him. Trudeau in the Commons replied that Poilievre should guard against repeating “erroneous narratives that the Americans are putting forward,” saying amplifying “these ‘broken’ narratives is simply not responsible leadership.” New Democrat Jagmeet Singh said he told Trudeau in the meeting that he pressed Trudeau to hire “at a minimum” 1,100 more border guards. That’s a lot fewer than the union says are needed. Erin O’Gorman, head of the border agency, told MPs the CBSA currently has 16,300 full time employees, 8,500 of whom are front-line employees, compared to 13,700 it had in 2014 when the Conservatives were in power. However, the Customs and Immigration Union says only 6,500 are considered front-line employees, including those who work not just at land border points of entry, but at airports and who enforce customs laws at postal facilities. Union head Mark Weber, in an interview with the Star, said the union has called for an additional 2,000-3,000 front-line officers, and was encouraged by LeBlanc’s testimony that showed an “openness” to expanding the role played by border guards to include patrolling in between official points of entry with the RCMP. Weber reiterated in a letter to LeBlanc Monday the union’s request to the Liberal government to review a 1932 cabinet order that directed the RCMP to cover border areas between official ports of entry while leaving the official points of entry to border officers. ” LeBlanc told MPs Tuesday that the government is “interested in taking immediate steps that will reassure Canadians and the Americans that the border remains secure and the integrity of the border is protected ... We haven’t made any decisions in that regard. But are open to considering that as well.” Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet said that the Liberals did not offer details, but seem to have a plan in the works. “We’ll see what it contains,” he said. “I don’t want to fight too much publicly about an issue which is very important for everybody, both in Canada and Quebec and Americans are looking at us now. So I will give some time to Mr. LeBlanc to provide us with the details of the plan.” Former Conservative leader Rona Ambrose in a CBC interview Tuesday said, “look, I think it’s easy to say everyone should be on Team Canada, but that doesn’t mean Team Trudeau.” Ambrose, who previously sat on Trudeau’s NAFTA advisory council, said Poilievre and Singh would all argue they are on Team Canada, but that they also have legitimate criticisms to make of how Trudeau has not positioned Canada’s economy to withstand Trump’s threats and the moves he will make to draw investors and capital away from Canada to the United States.Former Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah has already found a new program in Duke, while Mississippi State's Michael Van Buren Jr., Wisconsin's Braedyn Locke and Cal's Fernando Mendoza are exploring changes of their own in the transfer portal. Mensah, a redshirt freshman with three years of eligibility remaining, told ESPN on Wednesday he has transferred to Duke. He attended the Blue Devils men's basketball game against Incarnate Word on Tuesday night. The Blue Devils (9-3) will face Mississippi in the Gator Bowl, but without 2024 starting quarterback Maalik Murphy and backup Grayson Loftis, who also entered the portal. Mensah, viewed as one of the top players in the portal, threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns and completed 65.9% of his passes. He led the Green Wave to a 9-4 record and the American Athletic Conference championship game, where they lost 35-14 to Army. Tulane will play Florida in the Gasparilla Bowl on Sunday. Van Buren, Mendoza and Locke announced on social media they had entered the portal. Van Buren started eight games as a true freshmen for the Bulldogs. He threw for 1,886 yards on 55% passing with 16 total touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Bulldogs (2-10, 0-8 Southeastern Conference). He took over as the starter when Blake Shapen suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in a 45-28 loss to Florida on Sept. 21. Shapen has said he plans to return next season. Van Buren, a 6-foot-1, 200-pound passer from St. Frances Academy in Maryland, had two 300-yard performances for the Bulldogs, including 306 yards and three touchdown passes in a 41-31 road loss against Georgia. Mendoza threw for 3,004 yards in 2024 with 16 TDs, six interceptions and a 68.7 completion percentage. "For the sake of my football future this is the decision I have reached," he posted. Locke passed for 1,936 yards with 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for Wisconsin this season. He said he will have two years of eligibility remaining at his next school. ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan cornerback Will Johnson has joined defensive tackle Mason Graham in the NFL draft. Johnson declared for the draft on Wednesday, one day after Graham decided he would also skip his senior season with the Wolverines. Both preseason All-America players are expected to be first-round picks. Johnson was limited to six games this year due to an injury. He had two interceptions, returning them both for touchdowns to set a school record with three scores off interceptions. Johnson picked off nine passes in three seasons. Graham played in all 12 games this season, finishing with 3 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for losses. He had 18 tackles for losses, including nine sacks, in his three-year career. Tennessee running back Dylan Sampson is The Associated Press offensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference and South Carolina defensive lineman Kyle Kennard is the top defensive player. Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia was voted the top newcomer on Wednesday while the Gamecocks' Shane Beamer is coach of the year in voting by the panel of 17 media members who cover the league. Sampson led the SEC and set school records by rushing for 1,485 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is tied for third nationally in rushing touchdowns, recording the league's fifth-most in a season. Sampson was chosen on all but two ballots. Mississippi wide receiver Tre Harris and his quarterback, Jaxson Dart, each got a vote. Kennard led the SEC with 11-1/2 sacks and 15-1/2 tackles for loss. He also had 10 quarterback hurries and forced three fumbles. Beamer led the Gamecocks to just their fifth nine-win season, including a school-record four wins over Top 25 opponents. They've won their last six games and ended the regular season with a win over eventual ACC champion Clemson. South Carolina plays Illinois on Dec. 31 in the Citrus Bowl. Pavia helped lead Vandy to its first bowl game since 2018 after transferring from New Mexico State. He passed for 2,133 yards and 17 touchdowns with four interceptions. He ran for another 716 yards and six touchdowns, directing an upset of Alabama. AMES, Iowa — Matt Campbell, who led Iowa State to its first 10-win season and became the program's all-time leader in coaching victories, has agreed to an eight-year contract that would keep him with the Cyclones through 2032. University president Wendy Wintersteen and athletic director Jamie Pollard made the announcement Wednesday, four days after the Cyclones lost to Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game. “Given all the uncertainty currently facing college athletics, it was critical that we moved quickly to solidify the future of our football program,” Pollard said. “Matt is the perfect fit for Iowa State University and I am thrilled he wants to continue to lead our program. Leadership continuity is essential to any organization’s long-term success." The Cyclones won their first seven games for their best start since 1938 and are 10-3 heading into their game against Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 28. BRIEFLY FLAG PLANT: Ohio Republican state Rep. Josh Williams said Wednesday on social media he's introducing a bill to make flag planting in sports a felony in the state. His proposal comes after the Nov. 30 fight at the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry football game when the Wolverines beat the Buckeyes 13-10 and then attempted to plant their flag at midfield. MALZAHN: Gus Malzahn, who resigned as UCF’s coach last month to become Mike Norvell’s offensive coordinator at Florida State, said he chose to return to his coaching roots rather than remain a head coach distracted by a myriad of responsibilities. Get local news delivered to your inbox!Making the grade: Canada unveils world junior roster featuring plenty of youth Gavin McKenna will suit up for Canada at the world junior hockey championship. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press Dec 13, 2024 3:57 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Canada's Carson Rehkopf (19) takes a shot on net as U Sports Simon Lavigne (24) defends during first period of Canadian World Juniors selection camp hockey action at TD Place stadium in Ottawa, on Friday, Dec. 13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby Gavin McKenna will suit up for Canada at the world junior hockey championship. Set to turn 17 next week, the star forward with the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers headlines the country's 25-player roster for the annual tournament announced Friday. McKenna, who is projected as the potential top pick at the 2026 NHL draft, will be joined by a pair of fellow youngsters battling for the No. 1 selection spot in June — 18-year-old winger Porter Martone and 17-year-old defenceman Matthew Schaefer. Five of seven eligible returnees from last year's squad that finished a disappointing fifth in Sweden are back, with forwards Easton Cowan, Brayden Yager and Carson Rehkopf getting the nod, while defencemen Oliver Bonk and Tanner Molendyk will anchor the blue line. The two players unable to hold onto their spots for the event set to run Dec. 26 to Jan. 5 in Ottawa are forward Matthew Wood and goaltender Scott Ratzlaff. Making up the rest of the group up front are Bradly Nadeau, Jett Luchanko, Luca Pinelli, Berkly Catton, Ethan Gauthier, Calum Ritchie, Tanner Howe, Cole Beaudoin and Mathieu Cataford. Nadeau didn't attend selection camp in Ottawa this week, but was guaranteed a spot after being made available by the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes from their American Hockey League affiliate. Canada's defence corps also includes Andrew Gibson, Sam Dickinson, Caden Price, Sawyer Mynio and Beau Akey. The hockey powerhouse's three-headed crease contingent is made up of goaltenders Jack Ivankovic — another 17-year-old eligible for June's NHL draft — Carter George and Carson Bjarnason. "We believe we have assembled a competitive and talented roster that will give us the best opportunity to win a gold medal on home ice," Hockey Canada's Peter Anholt, who leads the under-20 program's management group, said in a statement. "We look forward to them wearing the Maple Leaf with pride." The Canadians, who will be looking to add to a record 20 gold medals at the annual showcase, were ousted in last year's quarterfinals thanks to a last-minute loss to Czechia. Among the other notable cuts Friday were Calgary Flames defence prospect Zayne Parekh and Beckett Sennecke, who was selected No. 3 overall by the Anaheim Ducks at the 2024 draft. Both players were late injury additions for selection camp and are eligible to try out again next year. Canada will now hold training camp in Petawawa, Ont., before pre-tournament games against Switzerland, Sweden and Czechia. The hosts open Group A at the Canadian Tire Centre, home of the NHL's Ottawa Senators, on Boxing Day against Finland. The defending champions United States, Latvia and Germany make up the rest of the field. Group B at TD Place, home of the Ontario Hockey League's Ottawa 67's, includes Sweden, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Kazakhstan. Russia remains banned by the International Ice Hockey Federation due to that country's ongoing war in Ukraine. Ottawa last hosted the world juniors in 2009 when Canada defeated Sweden to secure a record-tying fifth straight gold. Cameron, who guided the country atop the podium in 2022 after winning silver in 2011, was an assistant coach on the staff of the late Pat Quinn at that tournament 15 years ago in the nation's capital. "This group of 25 players is excited for the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf in front of Canadian fans in Ottawa, and to represent their country in our quest to win a gold medal," he said in a statement. "This is a great accomplishment for these players and their families. "We know they will enjoy the world juniors experience while bringing the competitiveness needed for us to be successful and accomplish our goal." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 13, 2024. Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National Sports Source: Running back-returner Javon Leake staying put with Edmonton Elks Dec 13, 2024 3:42 PM Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss reveals cancer diagnosis, 6-hour surgery Dec 13, 2024 3:33 PM Canada's Henderson, Conners tied for second at mixed-team event; Knapp, Tavatanakit lead Dec 13, 2024 3:30 PM Featured Flyer
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Maybe 15 minutes before the Wild hosted and defeated the Nashville Predators on Saturday, general manager Bill Guerin took a few minutes to talk to the media about his first noteworthy acquisition of the season—the trade with Columbus, which will bring David Jiricek to the State of Hockey in the first few days of December. ADVERTISEMENT Maybe it’s just the pessimistic nature of a fanbase that hasn’t seen a men’s professional team play for a championship in more than three decades, but the grumbling had begun even before the collected media had reached the press box for Saturday’s game. “Seems like a lot to pay for a minor-leaguer,” was one of the comments overheard at the rink on Saturday. Indeed, to get Jiricek – the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft – and a lower-round pick, Guerin surrendered defenseman Daemon Hunt and four draft picks, including Minnesota’s 2025 first-rounder and a second round pick in 2027. He wasted no time in getting an up-close look at the new guy, calling Jiricek up to the NHL level on Sunday, and sending former Gophers forward Travis Boyd back down to Iowa. Guerin and Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell are old friends from their time working together with the Pittsburgh Penguins. But there was no discount offered from Waddell to his old pal in Minnesota. “It took awhile. Donny,” Guerin said with an exasperated grin. “He played with me. He’s one of my old mentors. He made me work for it. He’s the best.” ADVERTISEMENT Still, Guerin would not have pulled the trigger had he not believed in two things: 1) The Wild can turn all of Jiricek’s size (6-foot-4) and potential into another piece of their bright future on the blue line. 2) The price they paid was not as steep as it might look on the surface. To that second point, consider that Hunt was not really part of the Wild’s NHL-level defensive picture, even at a time like this when Jonas Brodin’s long-term viability is a serious question mark. And after getting two points with an overtime win over the Predators on Saturday, the Wild were tied for the most points in the NHL, meaning that at this pace, that 2025 first-round draft pick is going to come in the 25th spot or later. If the Wild go into a tailspin this season, the pick sent to Columbus is lottery protected, meaning the Blue Jackets will not get to pick in the top 10 at the Wild’s expense. ADVERTISEMENT To the first point, Jiricek is a player Guerin and his assistants have had their eye on for some time, even before he was named the top defenseman in the tournament while playing for Czechia in the 2023 World Juniors. “He’s not 30, he’s not a rental. He’s a 21-year-old defenseman that we can invest in. And we did. That’s how I look at it. It’s an investment,” Guerin said. In 2022, the Wild grabbed Liam Ohgren with the 19th overall pick, more than a dozen selections after Jiricek was picked by Columbus and was posing for pictures in a new red-white-and-blue sweater. ADVERTISEMENT “He was somebody that we really liked (during) his draft year. We knew we weren’t going to get him, but we liked him,” Guerin said. “And, you know, when this became available, I did my due diligence and asked our staff what they thought. They were all on board with it. So it’s good.” Perhaps in hopes of getting the fans on board, Guerin also stressed patience. Jiricek has not yet been a star in the NHL, despite his high draft stock. But the Wild are confident that their system of developing players — especially defensemen — is the change the new guy needs. “He’s a young player. He’s got a lot to learn. He’s going to continue to improve, just like all young players,” Guerin said, name-dropping two youthful every-night members of the Wild roster who still have ample room to grow. “Brock Faber’s got to get better. Matt Boldy’s still going to get better. All these guys are going to continue to improve because they’re so young. So just because they’re in the NHL doesn’t mean they’re not going to develop their game and get better. That’s our job as the coaches, management. That’s our job to help him get better.” If he has to spend some future draft capital to put those pieces in place, that is clearly a chance Guerin is willing to take. ADVERTISEMENT ______________________________________________________ This story was written by one of our partner news agencies. Forum Communications Company uses content from agencies such as Reuters, Kaiser Health News, Tribune News Service and others to provide a wider range of news to our readers. Learn more about the news services FCC uses here .
Giants beat Colts, avoid winless home season, put top NFL Draft position in jeopardy