- Minnesota re-signed RFA defenseman Daemon Hunt to a one-year, $900,000 contract
- The deal landed before Saturday’s arbitration filing deadline and keeps his blue-line depth in the fold
- Read below for what the signing means for Minnesota’s defense corps
Daemon Hunt is staying in Minnesota.
The Wild re-signed the restricted free-agent defenseman to a one-year, $900,000 contract, getting it done before Saturday’s deadline to file for salary arbitration. Michael Russo of The Athletic first reported the two sides were closing in earlier in the day.
By signing now, Hunt gives up his only year of arbitration eligibility. He bet on sticking around over forcing a number in a hearing.
Last season handed Hunt his first real NHL run. He put up six assists and 43 blocked shots in 32 games, then dressed for five playoff contests once Minnesota reached the second round.
It wasn’t a clean year. Hunt fought through a lower-body injury in December and an upper-body issue in February. He still did enough to lock down the extra-defender job after David Jiricek and Travis Dermott left.
Minnesota drafted Hunt in the third round back in 2020. He has played 45 NHL games across three seasons and logged 173 more in the AHL, where he racked up 59 points.
His path to steadier minutes opened up when the Wild traded Jacob Middleton to Calgary. Minnesota brought Olli Maatta back in that deal, but Maatta turns 32 this summer, and Hunt’s physical game gives him a real shot at pushing for those reps.
Competition runs deeper than that. Carson Lambos, David Spacek and Viking Gustafsson Nyberg are all knocking from Iowa for the same bottom-pair looks.
Hunt’s job now is turning that seventh-defenseman role into something bigger.
