St. Louis Blues first-round pick in 2024, defenseman Adam Jiricek, is banking on his injury past being that, in the past, and is looking forward to playing hockey. (St. Louis Blues photo)

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Adam Jiricek had plenty of reasons to smile at St. Louis Blues development camp last week.

And why the heck wouldn't he, considering the amount of time the 19-year-old defenseman and first-round pick (No. 16) of the 2024 NHL Draft missed the past couple of years due to the seriousness of injuries, starting with a right knee sustained at the 2024 World Junior Championship.

"I feel great right now," Jiricek said. "I'm 100 percent healthy, so I enjoy coming here. I'm playing hockey, which is what I like to do."

It wasn't always like that, though.

In all combined games for club and international competition representing Czechia, Jiricek has played in a grand total of 71 games -- including nine playoff games last season -- the past two years, including 36 combined for Brantford of the Ontario Hockey League; his season was limited because of another lower-body injury, believed to be the same knee, while playing for the Bulldogs.

"It was hard. It's not easy," Jiricek said. "Every hockey player wants to play hockey. But you need to move on and deal with it and be better, be healthy again and try to stay healthy after you get healthy. But you can't change the kind of player you are. I'm not wanting to get injured but sometimes these things happen and you just deal with it, try to stay positive and get better from it."

So now moving forward, the plan -- as is the case for each and every player -- is to stay healthy. But Jiricek, who had 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 27 regular-season games and another goal and assist in nine playoff games for the Bulldogs last season, wants more.

He will be at training camp in St. Louis in September and feels he can fight for a job but is open to what the organization feels is best for him.

"I will go to camp in September and see what happens," Jiricek said. "My goal is to stay here in St. Louis, but if that's not going to happen, we'll see what's going to be next. But I will do my best to stay here. I know there is good players here, but my job is to fight to try and stay here.

"I'm open to any options. I'm going to do what they tell me to do. I let this decision on the staff and we will talk about it.

"It was OK (last season). I think I can play better. It's hard when you have that much up and down with these injuries. You can't really like play your game like someone who play a full season and all the games. You're just building your game up, but with these up and downs, it's hard to get it back to build again and be confident when you are able to play all the games."

The odds are stacked against him at this point. The Blues just want Jiricek (6-foot-3, 178 pounds) simply playing games, and playing lots of them.

"He's healthy. Obviously getting bigger and stronger," Blues assistant general manager Tim Taylor said. "I know it's a redundant question and answer is what do these guys need and it is, it's just time and growth in their bodies, maturity and every year brings a new outlook for these players. Now he's building. he (has) more strength. Last year I think he came in at 170 or 165. He was injured a little bit again last year, but he's come in now and has a workout program. All these kids mature over those years and that's what you're looking for."

Blues GM Doug Armstrong recently went out and acquired 22-year-old defenseman Logan Mailloux from the Montreal Canadiens for forward Zack Bolduc, and the Blue line appears to be set for the upcoming season, but doors are never completely closed because of young prospects that want to take someone else's job, like Jiricek would like to do.

"Yeah, he is all ready to go. He needs to put a solid, healthy year together," Armstrong said. "We've talked about that in that past -- it's hard to make the club from the tub. He needs to put some health behind him. Sometimes you can't control it. I'm not saying he can control these injuries he has, but you have to be able to play. You have to be on the ice. He needs to do that for himself. We need to see, he needs to see it, it's reality, you have to stay healthy to prove how good you are.

St. Louis Blues prospect, 2024 first-round pick Adam Jiricek (left) goes for a backhand shot during 3-on-3 action at development camp last week. (St. Louis Blues photo)

"... He’s going to come in and push for the team, but at 19, I don’t expect him to do it. Now, he could be the next Robert Thomas or Robby Fabbri, I don’t know. That’s up for him to prove."

That's why Jiricek politely said he doesn't want to talk or think about injuries anymore. He's in the right frame of mind of solely focusing on playing hockey, and being injury free.

"Right now when I'm healthy, I'm not focused on that," he said. "I just focus on playing hockey. When you get healthy, you focus on just that. I have a couple injuries, but that's hockey. It was unlucky and right now, I'm back and I want to stay here.

"This camp is fun and about learning. We have a fun bunch of guys here and it's good to hang out with them. It's better than when you are here alone. We have guys from all over the place and everyone get along. I will keep working hard and see where things go."

St. Louis Blues 2024 First-Round Pick Adam Jiricek Finally Feels Healthy, Ready To Play Hockey Regularly