Daemon Hunt’s path back to the Minnesota Wild has been anything but straightforward, and now the 24-year-old defenseman is getting a real chance to make that circuitous journey matter.
Minnesota drafted Hunt in the third round in 2020, then shipped him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in November 2024 as part of the deal that brought David Jiricek to the Wild. Less than a year later, the Wild got him back on waivers, and with injuries piling up on the blue line, he’s suddenly in a much bigger spot.
That expanded role will be on display again Sunday when Minnesota hosts Columbus at Grand Casino Arena. With Brock Faber, Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta out, Hunt has been pushed into heavier minutes, more penalty-kill duty and a larger job at even strength.
“I mean, I've come so far in the past three or so years,” Hunt told The Hockey News in a one-on-one interview. “I think it's just like being comfortable out there, being comfortable with having the puck on your stick.”
Hunt has logged plenty of minutes in the American Hockey League, where volume has never been the issue. The jump to the NHL, though, has forced him to keep adjusting.
“I log a lot of minutes in the AHL, so I'm familiar with it. But obviously, this is another level,” Hunt said. “I think over the past couple years, my skating has gotten even stronger and better.”
Consistency, he said, has been the other major piece.
“I think just trying to find that consistency of bringing it every night and having the coaches being able to rely on you has been big for me,” Hunt said. “So every day I'm just kind of working at it, trying to be more consistent with everything.”
Thursday’s game against the St. Louis Blues offered a clear example.
Hunt skated 16:27 in Minnesota’s 5-4 win, including 1:42 on the penalty kill, for his highest ice-time total of the young season. He also finished with two shots on goal while the Wild leaned on him with several regular defensemen unavailable.
“Yeah, it definitely feels good,” Hunt said. “That's one of my strengths, penalty kill, but we're short-staffed on the back end, and I've got to step my game up.
Everyone does. It doesn't really matter who's in the lineup.”
For a young defenseman still trying to lock down a permanent NHL job, more ice time has made a difference.
“To be an NHL player, it is very challenging. So I'm still trying to learn how to bring it every day,” Hunt said.
“Last game was nice to be in a top-four role and be in the flow of the game, so that was really nice. And I thought last game was one of my better games this season so far.”
He’s also getting help from the room around him, especially veteran defenseman Zach Bogosian, who has been his partner.
“I've learned a lot,” Hunt said. “He's a guy that's been around forever.
Obviously, he's won a Cup. Just the little things, you know, the little questions on the bench, or whether it's during practice, just little things.”
Hunt said he’s also leaned on other experienced defensemen in the locker room.
“We've got a lot of veteran guys, though. Obviously, Quinn and Spurge has been around forever, so, even Jimmy Brodin,” Hunt said. “They're great at what they do, and so I think just continuing to ask questions around those guys goes a long way, and those little details add up in your game.”
Those conversations happen in real time, too.
“I'd say it's a bit of both,” Hunt said when asked whether those conversations happen during games or practices. “After a shift on the bench, you just ask them a little question, or we look at the iPad.”
He also said he’s working on details with assistant coach Patrick Dwyer during practice.
“I really appreciate when guys come up to me and tell me what I need to do better,” Hunt said.
There’s still one NHL adjustment that hasn’t come naturally: the bench iPads.
Hunt said that wasn’t part of the AHL experience, and he’s still getting used to the routine.
“No, no. That's not in the AHL,” Hunt said.
“It's kind of new for me. Growing up, I never really used the iPads, so I don't know.
I'm trying to be dialed on the game, but then guys bring out the iPads, and I'm like, I don't know how to use this thing and work it.”
He laughed about trying to track down the right sequence while also staying ready for his next shift.
“Like, what time was the play I was in at?” Hunt said.
“So, I like it. I'm just trying to get used to it still.”
Even with that learning curve, Hunt understands why the quick video review matters.
“If I make a mistake, or I thought I seen something different, and the play unfolds differently than I would, then I want to look at it because I like to visualize things and see,” Hunt said.
The trick, as he put it, is figuring out how to use it without getting pulled too far away from the game itself.
“It’s kind of hard to do in the middle of a game,” Hunt said. “Like, if I'm next up, I'm on the iPad.
I don't really know yet. But I'm trying to figure it out.”
For now, that’s part of the process: more minutes, more responsibility, more small details to absorb. Hunt said he’s taking it all in while trying to keep his footing in the NHL.
“I'm happy about the last game,” Hunt said. “Again, just trying to bring it every day and trying to enjoy the grind.”
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