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  • Daemon Hunt Could Help Extend Jared Spurgeon’s Career


    Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
    Justin Wiggins

    Hockey Wilderness is counting down the Minnesota Wild’s Top-10 Prospects, as voted by our staff. Today, we give you everything you need to know about our No. 9 prospect, Daemon Hunt.

    It was mid-March of this past season. Kirill Kaprizov was scheduled to come back from his lower-body injury soon, but the Minnesota Wild were clinging tightly to red-hot goaltending to keep their playoff positioning alive. The offense wasn’t completely anemic, but outside of Matt Boldy’s scoring streak, the Wild were struggling to control games.

    At the same time, top prospect Marco Rossi was in the midst of his most successful stretch of hockey as a pro. He was scoring at will for the AHL Iowa Wild, and the idea of a Rossi call up to help spark the St. Paul team began circulating.

    As I had done the year before, I decided it was time for a middle-of-the-season film review on how Rossi was progressing. And while watching a handful of games, Rossi certainly stood out. But there was another, less heralded prospect who I couldn’t stop noticing. I kept training my eyes to No. 23 in white as part of my assigned project, but a big, rangy No. 52 kept distracting me.

    In his first full season as a pro, Daemon Hunt sure didn’t look out of place in the AHL last year. As a result, his impressive rookie campaign has vaulted him to his first appearance in the Hockey Wilderness Top-10 Prospects list. In fact, his style of play and progression as a defender could make a world of a difference for the Wild’s suddenly aging captain.

    It’s hard to believe, but long-time blue line pillar Jared Spurgeon, turns 34 in the first half of the NHL season this year. While the diminutive right-hander continues to play at a high level, history suggests that his play will begin to decline at some point during the final four years of his contract. And while Jake Middleton creates a serviceable tandem now, at some point, Spurgeon will need a defensive partner who can shoulder some of the heavy workload he currently carries. It sure seems like Hunt could be that guy.

    Through his prime, Spurgeon has been nothing short of spectacular. Where he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in a combination of elite skating and intelligence. While his point totals have limited his chances at a Norris Trophy through his career, his ability to defend, along with his impact in the transition game, has made him an elite level defender for almost a decade.

    But as Father Time zones in and eventually catches up to Spurgeon, he will need a defensive partner who can mirror some of those same characteristics. Again, Middleton is a fine partner now, but only because Spurgeon shoulders so much of the offensive and transitional responsibility bestowed upon that pair. What happens if the latter begins to show signs of slowing down? The Wild will need to insert either a prospect or free agent to help insulate some of Spurgeon’s decline.

    Insert: Hunt, Minnesota's third-round pick in 2020.

    Hunt’s game has evolved drastically over the past few years since they drafted him. After all, third-round picks are rarely polished and NHL-ready. But his talent was evident when Hunt began his WHL career with the Moose Jaw Warriors. While the point totals were not quite there, his above average-to-elite skating and physical style when engaged with an opponent led to him becoming a mainstay in the lineup.

    The stats weren’t eye popping through his first two years in juniors (35 points in 85 games), but that didn’t stop the Wild from trading up to select him in the third round in 2020. Since then, Hunt’s game has elevated to another level. Over his last two seasons in juniors, Hunt became a true two-way player. Not only was he shutting opponents down on a top pairing with eventual 12th overall pick in Denton Mateychuk, Hunt became an offensive force, as evidenced by his 57 points in 69 games.

    Some could be justified in claiming his late junior success was due to playing alongside Mateychuk, a top talent. But when you watch Hunt closely, it becomes very apparent he is buoyed by an above average defensive partner, not carried. There is a distinction. And Hunt carried that success into his first year as a pro in Iowa last year.

    Just as he did as a junior in Canada, Hunt didn’t immediately blow the doors off the AHL with his point totals. He only secured 11 points in 59 games. But his all-around game and offensive potential was still noticeable.

    Below is the play where Hunt made me almost fall out of my chair in excitement this past year when I was trying to evaluate his teammate, Rossi. It’s plays like this which jump off the screen and make any coach drool at the impact Hunt could one day have on an NHL club.

    That's not an outlier in his game. Hunt remains a work in progress in becoming a complete defenseman, but the tools are clearly there. He is already a fantastic skater with an above-average shot. His defensive game is also progressing, and he already possesses that Bill Guerin “f- you” to his game.

    For those reasons, it’s easy to project Hunt as the type of defenseman who could complement an aging Spurgeon in a year or two. As the Wild captain enters the latter years of his career, there is no doubt he will remain a valuable part of Minnesota’s plans. Middleton works nicely with him now. But eventually Spurgeon will likely need a partner who can take on the burden of quickly retrieving pucks from corners, jump-starting the transition game, and climbing to join offensive rushes.

    If Hunt can continue progressing as a puck-moving defenseman, it can allow Spurgeon to slide into more and more of a defense-oriented, stay-at-home defenseman role as he captains the Wild through their true contention window years. Hunt may be No. 9 in our prospect list, but his eventual role could be so much more impactful to the Wild and their franchise icon than that ranking suggests.

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    Not that I'd be eager to split Middleton and Spurgeon up, butI could see Spurgeon being exactly the mentor Hunt would most benefit from playing with. He can learn how to responsibly transition the puck, jump into the play, and pick his shots.

    Plus, like Middleton, he's got enough size to help balance the pairing.

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    I watched Hunt at Dev Camp last year before he got hurt. I noticed him also stand out among the group. His sheer speed, edges, and stick work along the boards was impressive. He also brought a physical presence that day and gave Rossi fits.

    I can see why he was selected to team Canada. They also let him continue with the team even after he was hurt to celebrate their medals.  That says something and the fact he beat out our own Lambos for a spot.

    I anticipate seeing him more after camp into the season and also believe he could give us enough to replace Merrill if BG want some more cap flexibility. 

    I've mentioned this before, I love everything about Spurg and his style. I don't like what I've seen the past two playoff years from him. At $7.5+ million a year for four more years I don't see it.

     Spurgeon could be are next buyout candidate after cap hell. His age, size and contract being the biggest factors.

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    4 hours ago, Velgey said:

    Not that I'd be eager to split Middleton and Spurgeon up, butI could see Spurgeon being exactly the mentor Hunt would most benefit from playing with. He can learn how to responsibly transition the puck, jump into the play, and pick his shots.

    Plus, like Middleton, he's got enough size to help balance the pairing.

    If you watch Hunt and his offensive game, he plays more like a young Brodin from what I saw of him in Moose Jaw and IA. One HUGE difference, Hunt is very physical and will throw down. Now I'm not saying he's Brodin, but I think Brodin will be a bigger mentor/example to him. If he can blanket Rossi at the IA level now, he'll be fine.

    My bet is Brodin and Hunt play more years together, not on the same line of course. Spurgeon being 33 already, soon to be 34 in November  that says his time is short as a first line ''D" pair and with this team.

    IA is filled with a plethora of D men and McLean is going to make sure they come up to the big club the right way in the next year/two!

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    The Wild have themselves a pretty good track of defensemen that could be potential top 4s, with a couple filling out the bottom pairing. Really hope it's a Lambos/Hunt HR by Brackett and Co.

    That said, they can't rest on their laurels just yet. Minnesota has enjoyed a decade of really good to mostly great defense. It's going to slip if this next batch can't quite slide in without seeing a dip. It takes special talents to do just that, but man, they got a few that I'm excited about, and that's without an expected improvement from Addison as part of this crop.

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    18 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

    Spurgeon could be are next buyout candidate after cap hell. His age, size and contract being the biggest factors.

    Personally, I don’t see him being bought out. Do I think he’ll be a 1st pairing defender for 4 more year years? Nope, most likely not. However, I could definitely see him as a trade candidate with money going back if the right deal comes to head. 
     

    I hope Spurge retires as a Wild player. I can see him as the type of player that wouldn’t cause a rift if he gets moved down, could also see him passing on the C without his pride getting in the way. I don’t know him personally obviously but he seems like that type of player to me. 

    Edited by M_Nels
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    1 hour ago, M_Nels said:

    Personally, I don’t see him being bought out. Do I think he’ll be a 1st pairing defender for 4 more year years? Nope, most likely not. However, I could definitely see him as a trade candidate with money going back if the right deal comes to head. 
     

    I hope Spurge retires as a Wild player. I can see him as the type of player that wouldn’t cause a rift if he gets moved down, could also see him passing on the C without his pride getting in the way. I don’t know him personally obviously but he seems like that type of player to me. 

    All good counterpoints, but how do you justify the $7.5 million if you keep him say as a 3rd pair. I too would like to see him retire Wild.

    What other team is going to take a player of his age, cost, playoff shown talent? I think were stuck with that contract and that amount of money signs us another young Boldy type. With the IA and prospect pool defense cupboard full, its a dilemma.

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    11 hours ago, joebou15 said:

    The Wild have themselves a pretty good track of defensemen that could be potential top 4s, with a couple filling out the bottom pairing. Really hope it's a Lambos/Hunt HR by Brackett and Co.

    That said, they can't rest on their laurels just yet. Minnesota has enjoyed a decade of really good to mostly great defense. It's going to slip if this next batch can't quite slide in without seeing a dip. It takes special talents to do just that, but man, they got a few that I'm excited about, and that's without an expected improvement from Addison as part of this crop.

    Lambos, Hunt, Spacek, Masters (when healthy), O'Rourke .....gonna be a fun year in IA.

    The AHL TV package for the wild is not bad and its going to be amazing watch the next two years. Also, I've travelled to Des Moines to watch, nice arena, hotels, bars, eateries in the area. Worth the trip and price point!

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    2 hours ago, M_Nels said:

    Personally, I don’t see him being bought out. Do I think he’ll be a 1st pairing defender for 4 more year years? Nope, most likely not. However, I could definitely see him as a trade candidate with money going back if the right deal comes to head. 
     

    I hope Spurge retires as a Wild player. I can see him as the type of player that wouldn’t cause a rift if he gets moved down, could also see him passing on the C without his pride getting in the way. I don’t know him personally obviously but he seems like that type of player to me. 

    I expect Spurgeon's game translates well for longevity. His positioning and stick skills aren't going to fall off a cliff. Unless his feet turn to stone, I think he'll manage to stay productive and capable of middle pairing minutes through the rest of his contract. Is $7.5 million a lot to pay for that level of a contribution? Yes, but that's how it goes in the NHL. Players on ELC get way underpaid. Players that can make it into their 30s as a good performer tend to get overpaid once they hit that inevitable turning point and decline.

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    46 minutes ago, vonlonster67 said:

    Lambos, Hunt, Spacek, Masters (when healthy), O'Rourke .....gonna be a fun year in IA.

    The AHL TV package for the wild is not bad and its going to be amazing watch the next two years. Also, I've travelled to Des Moines to watch, nice arena, hotels, bars, eateries in the area. Worth the trip and price point!

    Sorry replying to both of your posts at once. All fair counter-counter points, can definitely see both sides of the coin. Just a good discussion topic. 
     

    As far as Des Moines it takes me about 1hr longer than to my nearest ECHL team but the tickets are cheaper, hockey is MUCH better, arenas a lot nicer and plus I get to watch the prospects. Highly recommend going to Des Moines to watch a game if MIN is a little out of budget. I try and go to 5-6 games a year up there. 

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    18 hours ago, vonlonster67 said:

    If you watch Hunt and his offensive game, he plays more like a young Brodin

    Good to know. I'd be thrilled with another Brodin shutdown defenseman on the team. Brodin is the poster child for undervalued NHL players, except players like him typically don't get posters...

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    Justin, while this is about Hunt, I'd like to know what your eyes picked up on Rossi? Was he hustling his butt off, or was there still too much gliding and standing still? 

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    On 8/10/2023 at 9:51 AM, Velgey said:

    Good to know. I'd be thrilled with another Brodin shutdown defenseman on the team. Brodin is the poster child for undervalued NHL players, except players like him typically don't get posters...

    Brodin is CRIMINALLY underrated in the NHL but that’s ok, we like it that way and we know the value he brings to the club. Doesn’t put up the offensive numbers like a Josi or Hedman but not many d-men can keep a lid on McDavid like Brodin can.

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    On 8/10/2023 at 8:56 AM, vonlonster67 said:

    Lambos, Hunt, Spacek, Masters (when healthy), O'Rourke .....gonna be a fun year in IA.

    The AHL TV package for the wild is not bad and its going to be amazing watch the next two years. Also, I've travelled to Des Moines to watch, nice arena, hotels, bars, eateries in the area. Worth the trip and price point!

    Covered the team in Des Moines. Press box is awesome. Great sight lines, Game Ops is pretty good, and it's an enjoyable experience. 

    I don't like the fan and Minnesota media narrative that Tim Army didn't win in the playoffs, or didn't develop players. I thi k he did just fine, and he was crewed by COVID with a couple of great seasons not ending up with a postseason because the AHL didn't have one. Last year, the team they faced were just a better team. It was a 3 game series, and they were both OT losses. Hard to say Army did much wrong in Iowa.

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    On 8/12/2023 at 9:55 AM, mnfaninnc said:

    Justin, while this is about Hunt, I'd like to know what your eyes picked up on Rossi? Was he hustling his butt off, or was there still too much gliding and standing still? 

    You can read more about my Rossi breakdown here! But long story short, my optimism here was in March when the Wild needed a guy like Rossi to step in and elevate their lineup. I thought he should have been given the chance, but he is still playing too perimeter and struggles to carry the puck through the neutral zone

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