Predators claim Daemon Hunt off waivers from the Wild

Minnesota put Hunt on waivers Friday. By Saturday afternoon his time with the Wild was over.

Michael Russo

@RussoHockey

Sources say the Nashville Predators have claimed Daemon Hunt off waivers

Hunt isn't a big name, but he's a real NHL body. He's 24, left-handed, on a 1-year deal worth $900K, and he played the first 11 games of Minnesota's season without a point while averaging a little over 14 minutes a night. He has 56 career NHL games and 7 assists. This is his 3rd organization: the Wild originally sent him to Columbus in the November 2024 David Jiricek trade, then claimed him back on waivers when he didn't make the Blue Jackets.

To make room, Nashville waived Jack Ahcan, an undersized defenseman who made the team out of camp and played just 3 games. Ships passing in the night. Nashville has also been one of the busiest teams on the waiver wire all month, and GM Chris MacFarland has been churning the blue line pretty much daily.

Alex Daugherty

@AlexDaugherty1

Waivers action by Nashville, last 30 days: D Hunter Skinner (waived) D Justin Barron (waived, claimed by STL) D William Trudeau (claimed by NSH) D Ilya Lyubushkin (waived) D Nick Perbix (waived) F Tyson Jost (waived) D Daemon Hunt (claimed by NSH) D Jack Achan (waived)

That's 8 defensemen moving in or out of one organization in 30 days. You don't do that when your D corps is fine. You do that when you're flipping over every couch cushion hoping someone can help, and Hunt is the latest pickup in a team-wide audition.

Back in Minnesota, losing Hunt left a roster spot open, and the Wild are already banged up up front. So they filled it with a forward a little over an hour later.

Michael Russo

@RussoHockey

Wild recall Mason Shaw

That's how the waiver wire works. The Wild apparently decided Hunt wasn't worth a roster spot over a healthy forward, and they lost him to a division rival for nothing. Not a disaster. But giving away a cheap, young defenseman to a team you'll see in the standings all year is never a great feeling.

As for Hunt's Nashville debut, it'll have to wait. Pinchuk was out for warmups and went back into the lineup for the first time since the 5-2 win over St. Louis a week ago, which left the new guy in a suit.

Brooks Bratten

@brooksbratten

#Preds starters: Ryan O'Reilly, Steven Stamkos, Matthew Wood, Roman Josi & Adam Wilsby. Juuse Saros stops the pucks. Preds scratches: Ilya Lyubushkin, Reid Schaefer & Daemon Hunt.

So Hunt sits behind Ilya Lyubushkin, who was waived earlier this month, and Reid Schaefer on Nashville's depth chart, at least for 1 night. Given how fast MacFarland has been moving bodies, he probably won't wait long for a chance. The thing to watch is whether he's in the lineup next game or whether he's just the next name on that list on his way out.