The Nashville Predators moved quickly to scoop up defenseman Daemon Hunt off waivers from the Minnesota Wild, a divisional rival that had just put the 24-year-old on the wire Friday to make room for the return of Jared Spurgeon and Olli Maatta.
Minnesota’s plan was straightforward: if Hunt cleared waivers, he would have been assigned to the AHL’s Iowa Wild. That didn’t happen. Nashville jumped in, claimed him, and took him before he could get through.
For the Predators, the appeal was obvious. They wanted an NHL-ready defenseman to help shore up their blue line, and a waiver claim comes with one major benefit: Hunt has to remain on Nashville’s active 23-man NHL roster. In one move, they added immediate depth without waiting for a prospect to develop.
Hunt has appeared in 11 NHL games this season and averaged more than 14 minutes of ice time per game. He also arrives as a young left-shot defenseman with room to grow, which gives Nashville a low-risk swing on a player with upside.
The move also fits the Predators’ broader attempt to shake up their roster and reshape the look of the team. Hunt was a former third-round pick, and Nashville got him at no cost, making it the kind of bet that can pay off if he develops the way they think he can.
For Minnesota, the roster squeeze meant losing a player it considered valuable but simply couldn’t keep. For Nashville, that opening turned into a quick grab, and the Wild’s loss became the Predators’ gain.
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Bobby Brink Is Running Out Of Time To Prove This Trade Right
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Wild May Be Closer Than Anyone To Landing Dylan Larkin
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Other teams are still in the mix, with the Devils and Capitals also showing interest, and Montreal waiting in the wings if Larkin broadens his list. His camp wants movement sooner rather than later, but the process has yet to reach the point where anyone can call it done, which leaves Minnesota with both the momentum and the pressure that come with being this close. [Read more 🡒]