Daemon Hunt showed up in Minnesota's first preseason game – Minnesota Wild

The Minnesota Wild got off to a great start to the preseason with a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets last Saturday night. However, Minnesota and Winnipeg's rosters are significantly different than what we'll see in a few weeks.

NHL teams use preseason games to trim down their large rosters. As a result, the first few games typically see several players vying for a spot in the full-season squad. Experienced players such as Marc-Andre Fleury, who was Wallstedt's replacement for the game, occasionally play at the start of pre-season. Later we will see more veterans preparing for regular games.

In the weekend lineup, the Wild had new draft picks like Ryder Ritchie, low-profile players like Jakub Lauko and Graeme Clarke, and upcoming goalie Jesper Wallstedt – who last year became the youngest goalie in Wild history.

However, Daemon Hunt stood out. The 22-year-old defenseman from Brandon, Canada, was Minnesota's 65th overall draft pick in 2020. From 2022 to 2023, Hunt played two seasons and scored 40 points with the Iowa Wild. However, Hunt played 12 games for the Minnesota Wild last year in which he had one assist.

Daemon Hunt is a versatile player who is effective on both ends of the ice. On Saturday, Hunt worked to get his name on the scoresheet. He had multiple shots on goal while playing solid defense. His ability to penetrate deep into the attack zone sets him apart. He also occasionally goes to the hash marks to grab a loose puck and fire off a shot. However, Hunt also shows a strong netfront presence and is not afraid to put physical and clear players in front of the defending net.

Throughout the game, Hunt took charge of his body when needed and wasn't afraid to get a little out of position to make a play.

That style of play paid off for Hunt as he scored the second goal of the game on a power play with assists from Ryder Ritchie and Luke Toporowski. Ritchie sent a pass from the point to Toporowski, who passed it back to Hunt despite pressure from Jets defenseman Tyrel Bauer. Hunt took a quick slap shot and pushed the puck past Winnipeg's defense.

Given his success in this game, I hope to see Hunt on special teams. While his usual style of play is gritty, physical and occasionally risky, Hunt was disciplined on the power play. The Manitoba native went deep into his own net to collect iced pucks, quickly set up the power play and made clean passes to his teammates.

Not only did Hunt take advantage of the Wild's power play with his goal, but he also helped successfully thwart several penalties and the Jets failed to score on the power play. Hunt put his body on the line and managed to block at least four shots during the game, including a particularly painful-looking one during Winnipeg's power play with 2:02 left in the second period.

In the scorers list, Hunt finished the game with -1. This may not look so good on a statistic, but it is important to consider how the goals came about. Although Hunt played an offensive game, he was rarely caught on the wrong side of a Jets player. He was always back when his defensive partner Kalem Parker made a play.

Unfortunately, he was still on the ice when both goals were conceded. Colin Miller scored Winnipeg's first goal from the point with 1:03 left in the first period. Hunt did his part by collecting the bodies up front, but unfortunately it was a heavily screened goal that would have been difficult for Wallstedt to save.

On the second goal, Barlow scored seconds after the faceoff. Hunt was the defender on the other side and rushed to get in front of the net but failed to hit Barlow in time.

Ultimately, Hunt showed his best on Saturday and made himself a strong contender for Minnesota's final roster. Throughout the game, he was eager to get free pucks and he showed he could score and block shots while playing a consistent end-to-end game. Minnesota still needs to narrow down a roster of 50 players in the coming weeks.

However, Daemon Hunt proved to be a promising defense for the Minnesota Wild. If he plays like that consistently, he could make it.

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