For close to 15 years, veteran defenseman Brad Hunt has provided an offensive boost wherever he has played. At times, he has been a high-producing offensive blueliner in the minors while at other times, he was a power play specialist (or even briefly a winger) in the NHL. But it appears that he might be heading for a change of scenery as Mattias Persson of Sweden’s HockeyNews reports (subscription link) that Hunt is receiving interest from some SHL teams this summer.
The timing is a little curious given that a lot of teams in Sweden have already filled their import quotas but some are still trying to round out their roster with the season getting started in mid-September.
Hunt spent last season with AHL Hershey where he was limited to just 41 games where he had 19 points. In 2023-24, the 36-year-old was one of the top-scoring blueliners in that league, tallying 16 goals and 33 assists in 70 games with Colorado. He can certainly still be a productive player in the minors but as a veteran player and a limit on roster spots for veterans in the AHL, that likely isn’t helping his cause in a search for a contract in North America.
Hunt has played in 288 career NHL games over parts of ten seasons, tallying 26 goals and 60 assists along the way. His last taste of action at the top level came back in 2022-23 with the Avalanche when he got into 47 games with them. But in the minors, Hunt has been a key scoring threat, notching 84 goals and 214 assists in 422 contests spanning nine seasons.
While it’s possible that Hunt could try to catch on via a PTO deal for training camp and then try to land a full contract from there, it appears that he has at least one other viable option on the table with some interest in Sweden. With their season fast approaching, he’ll need to decide if that’s the route he wants to take sooner than later.