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Minnesota Wild Hire Cody Franson As AHL Assistant Coach

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The Minnesota Wild have made two moves today regarding their AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild. They have hired former NHL defenseman Cody Franson as an assistant coach, replacing Pat Dwyer, who was promoted to the NHL when the Wild hired John Hynes.

In addition, Minnesota has reassigned defenseman Daemon Hunt to AHL Iowa in a move that, based on the number of recent transactions he has been involved in, could very well be just a paper transaction. Hunt was originally recalled on December 26th, but has not actually played in an AHL game since December 12th.

That being said, The Athletic’s Michael Russo reported today that defenseman Jared Spurgeon is back at Wild practice. Spurgeon has not played since December 10th but as the Wild’s most important defenseman he would obviously draw into the team’s lineup automatically, and the ripple effect of his return to health could mean Hunt returns to the AHL on a more permanent basis.

Hunt, 21, was the 65th overall pick at the 2020 draft and is in his second professional campaign. He jumped from the WHL to the AHL full-time last season and ended up playing in 65 games for Iowa, scoring just 11 points. His offensive game has seen a real uptick so far this season (he has nine points in 11 games) and Minnesota has rewarded that growth with his first set of NHL games. He’s played in nine NHL contests this season, averaging 10:07 time-on-ice. He’s registered one assist, 15 blocked shots, and four hits in those games.

As for Franson, this hire represents the 550-game NHL veteran’s first crack at coaching. The former AHL All-Star retired after a strong 2021-22 season with the Hershey Bears, a year in which he scored 35 points.

The Wild have quite a few defensive prospects in need of development in Iowa so a hire of someone who was so recently successful at both the AHL and NHL level is easy to understand.

Evening Notes: Senators, Wild, Penguins

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The Ottawa Senators announced today that they have recalled forwards Angus Crookshank and Jiri Smejkal from their AHL affiliate in Belleville. Both players had been previously assigned to the AHL after the Senators 5-4 overtime win on Saturday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Both Crookshank and Smejkal had been with the Senators on an emergency recall prior to the break and were unable to stay with the club because the emergency conditions wouldn’t be satisfied. But with the team in Toronto tomorrow night to take on the Maple Leafs both players were able to be recalled joining the club as they get set to begin a busy stretch of games over the next few weeks. The Senators play three times before the new year and 15 times in January as they try to play catchup to the rest of the Eastern Conference.

In other evening notes:

  • The Minnesota Wild announced a pair of recalls as they brought up Daemon Hunt and Jake Lucchini from the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Both players were reassigned to Iowa on Sunday making this move a paper transaction similar to that of the Senators. Lucchini has spent most of the year in Iowa and played his first game with Minnesota on December 23rd. His recall could mean that forward Ryan Hartman will remain out of action when the Wild resume play against the Detroit Red Wings tomorrow night. Hunt will likely serve as the Wild’s extra defenseman for tomorrow night’s game.
  • Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now writes that he believes it is possible the Pittsburgh Penguins could hang on to pending unrestricted free agent Jake Guentzel until the end of the season and treat that as their big trade deadline acquisition. The Penguins currently sit five points back of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but hold three games in hand on the Tampa Bay Lightning who currently occupy that position. Kingerski believes that the Penguins will forgo a potential trade package for Guentzel if they remain within six points of the playoffs by the end of January.

Wild Reassign Daemon Hunt, Jake Lucchini

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The Wild have reassigned defenseman Daemon Hunt and forward Jake Lucchini to AHL Iowa, per a team announcement.

These transactions must have been completed yesterday to be permitted under the NHL’s holiday roster freeze, which lifts December 28. The Wild recalled Hunt under standard conditions after December 11, meaning the Wild could send him down to the minors during the roster freeze as long as the transaction was completed by midnight today.

The same stipulation does not apply to Lucchini, who the Wild recalled under emergency conditions on Thursday. As the conditions that necessitated Lucchini’s recall no longer apply, he can be sent down any time during the roster freeze. Ryan Hartman was unavailable for Saturday’s game versus the Bruins with an upper-body injury, leaving the Wild with 11 healthy forwards on the active roster. Thus, Lucchini was eligible for an emergency recall.

Only players who cost no greater than $100K above the league minimum salary against the cap, which equates to $875K this season, are eligible for emergency recalls. Lucchini’s cap hit is $775K.

Teams can recall players at will during the roster freeze, meaning both Hunt and Lucchini could find themselves back on the Wild roster before Wednesday’s game against the Red Wings. That will depend on the health of Hartman and captain Jared Spurgeon, who remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and has not played since December 10 against the Kraken. Spurgeon has missed the last six games, bringing his total games missed due to injury counter this season to 19. He missed the first 13 games of the regular season with an upper-body injury. Neither player has been ruled out of Wednesday’s contest.

Hunt, 21, has played nine NHL games this season and remains on track to develop into a well-rounded, second-pairing-caliber defenseman. Selected 65th overall by the Wild in 2020, Hunt is in the second season of his entry-level contract. He’s looked much more confident in his sophomore professional season, recording one goal, eight assists, nine points, and a +3 rating in 14 minor-league games. It’s a considerable step up from last season’s pace when Hunt recorded 11 points in 59 games for Iowa.

He has one assist and solid possession metrics in his major-league time this season, but it’s hard to judge his performance given his limited usage. Hunt averaged only 10:07 per game and played less than ten minutes on four occasions. He played just 4:28 over six shifts in Thursday’s game against the Canadiens and was a healthy scratch against Boston yesterday.

Lucchini, 28, made his Wild debut against the Bruins, playing left wing on a line with Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno. The versatile long-time pro logged two shots on goal and won his lone faceoff attempt in 10:05 of ice time. The Wild controlled 46.7% of Corsi events with Lucchini on the ice at even strength. He returns to Iowa, where his nine goals in 24 games are tied for the team lead with Nic Petan. His 20 points are second on the team behind Petan’s 26.

Wild Recall Three Players, Move Jonas Brodin To LTIR

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The Wild recalled defensemen Daemon Hunt and Dakota Mermis, as well as forward Vinni Lettieri, from AHL Iowa on Wednesday, per a team release. To make the Wild salary cap-compliant, defenseman Jonas Brodin was moved to long-term injured reserve retroactive to December 9. He remains out indefinitely with an upper-body injury sustained last Friday on a hit from Oilers winger Evander Kane.

Doing so gives the Wild a 23-player active roster for the first time this season. Recalling both Hunt and Mermis gives the Wild eight defensemen to choose from on a nightly basis while Brodin is sidelined, while Lettieri will serve as injury insurance as an extra forward with the Wild slated for an East Coast road trip early next week.

This is the fourth recall of the season for Hunt, the 65th overall pick in the 2020 draft. The 21-year-old last suited up for an NHL game on November 9 and has been a healthy scratch in four out of the nine games he’s been rostered for this season.

Including his NHL debut on October 27 against the Capitals, Hunt’s played in five games, recording three shots on goal while averaging a paltry 8:36 per contest. He’s still looking for his first NHL point. The physical two-way defender is beginning to look comfortable at the professional level, notching a goal, eight assists and a +3 rating in 14 games for AHL Iowa this season. He recorded 11 points in 59 games last season, his first in the pros after completing his junior career with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors.

Mermis comes back up to the NHL promptly after being sent down Monday to extend his waiver-exempt status, which lasts for 30 NHL-rostered days after he last cleared waivers on November 18. The 29-year-old has played in a career-high 14 games this season, recording two goals and three assists while logging 15:29 per game. After playing 13 straight games between October 17 and November 12, Mermis has frequently been a healthy scratch when on the NHL roster and has played just once in the last month, logging 12:37 and a +1 rating against the Oilers on Friday.

Lettieri, 28, returns to Minnesota after a week-long stint in the minors. The high-end minor-league point producer has split the 2023-24 campaign between leagues after signing with his hometown club in the offseason, recording eight points in ten games for AHL Iowa and three points in 13 games for Minnesota. His last appearance came on November 30 against the Predators.

Wild Send Nic Petan, Daemon Hunt, Jesper Wallstedt To AHL

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The Minnesota Wild have announced a trio of roster moves, sending Nic Petan, Daemon Hunt, and Jesper Wallstedt to the Iowa Wild of the AHL. Wallstedt served as an emergency backup for the team during their trip to Sweden and wasn’t an official call-up, while Petan and Hunt were recalled prior to the trip. Dakota Mermis has also cleared waivers but remains assigned to the NHL club.

Petan was the only one of the group to slot into the lineup during his recall, appearing in the team’s Saturday loss against the Ottawa Senators. He failed to record a point, penalty, or change in his +/- in the matchup while playing just over eight-and-a-half minutes. He did record two shots and one faceoff win in the game, though.

While Hunt didn’t make an appearance on this recall, he has slotted into five NHL games earlier this season. The 21-year-old defenseman has gone without a point through those contests, a stat line that he’s matched in the AHL, going without a score in five games there as well. It’s Hunt’s second full season of professional hockey after he played in 59 AHL games last season, recording 11 points and 14 penalty minutes.

The duo return to Iowa alongside the AHL club’s starting goalie in Wallstedt. The top goalie prospect has played in eight AHL games so far this season, earning a .932 save percentage and a 6-2-0 record. Now 21 years old, Wallstedt was drafted in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft and has yet to play in his first NHL game.

Wild Activate Jared Spurgeon, Send Daemon Hunt To AHL

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4:10 PM: Minnesota Wild head coach Dean Evason announced that Spurgeon will, indeed, play in the team’s Friday night outing.

4:00 PM: The Minnesota Wild have activated team captain Jared Spurgeon from long-term injured reserve and sent Daemon Hunt to the minor leagues. Spurgeon has been on injured reserve for the entirety of the early season, battling an upper-body injury.

Getting Spurgeon back is a tremendous boost to a Wild lineup that’s struggled to get on the right side of the win column. The team currently has a 5-6-2 record through 13 games, ranking them sixth in the Central Division. But now they get back a pillar of their lineup in Spurgeon, who has averaged over 21 minutes of ice time for the club in every season since 2011-12. He scored 11 goals and 34 points last season, taking a slight step down from the 40 points he managed in the 2021-22 campaign.

Daemon Hunt appeared in his first five NHL games while helping to fill in for Spurgeon. He wasn’t able to net his first NHL box stat though, going without a point, penalty, or change in his +/-. He’ll return to the AHL’s Iowa Wild, where he’s already played four games this season – failing to record a point in those games as well, although he did record seven penalty minutes and a -3.

With the news of his Friday return, Spurgeon will have missed 12 games to start the season. The 33-year-old defenseman will have the potential to play in, at most, 69 games this season. The team captain is chasing his 400th NHL point, currently sitting 21 points back from the milestone

Minnesota Wild Recall Daemon Hunt

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The Minnesota Wild have once again recalled Daemon Hunt to the NHL, in advance of a two-game homestand. Hunt has already been recalled once this season, playing in his first two NHL games before being sent back down to the minors on October 30th.

Hunt has emerged as a strong prospect for the Wild, after being drafted 65th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He made his professional debut during the 2020-21 season, playing in six AHL games thanks to an awkward Covid season, but his rookie AHL season didn’t come until 2022-23. Hunt played in 59 games last year, scoring 11 points and recording 14 penalty minutes. It was a relatively low-event year for the left defender, something that he’s continued into this season as he currently sits without a point through 4 AHL games and 2 NHL games.

But Hunt’s impact has never come on the offensive side of the puck. Instead, he’s a stout defender who uses great mobility to close gaps with puck handlers and force opponents to make decisions. Hunt said himself, “I think I’m at my best when I’m defending really hard — good gaps, good sticks, good box outs. I think just being really reliable, too.”

The Wild are turning to Hunt to operate as their seventh defenseman, with captain Jared Spurgeon and veteran Alex Goligoski both out with injuries. Spurgeon has returned to practice but won’t be eligible to return until at least November 7th, while Goligoski is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. Both Hunt and Dakota Mermis have earned NHL games in the wake of these injuries, with Mermis scoring four points in seven games this season.

Wild Assign Daemon Hunt, Jujhar Khaira To AHL

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The Wild have assigned defenseman Daemon Hunt and forward Jujhar Khaira to AHL Iowa after recalling both last week, a team release states.

Hunt and Khaira were called up to the NHL roster before last week’s road trip thanks to injuries affecting all positions. Hunt was a precautionary recall to have an extra defenseman around on the road trip, something that ended up paying dividends as he appeared in his first two NHL games, averaging a minute 4:52 per game. Khaira, 29, made just one appearance in lieu of injured forward Frédérick Gaudreau, logging 8:05.

The Wild, coming off a 4-3 loss to the Devils yesterday, do not play again until Thursday. The move allows the Wild to bank some cap space by staying out of LTIR and remaining cap-compliant. Both players could very well stay in the minors if one or both of Gaudreau and Matt Boldy are ready to return from their respective injuries later in the week.

While Hunt will not require waivers to return to AHL Iowa this season, Khaira will require waivers after he plays in ten NHL games and remains on the NHL roster for 30 days after clearing waivers preseason. Papering him down even if he requires an eventual recall does carry added benefit in that department.

Wild Recall Daemon Hunt

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The Minnesota Wild have recalled defenseman Daemon Hunt from AHL Iowa, per a team announcement. The transaction comes after head coach Dean Evason told reporters Monday, including The Athletic’s Michael Russo, that the team would recall a player from the minors in advance of their three-game Eastern swing that begins Thursday. It was likely to be a defender, with Jonathon Merrill banged up and taking a maintenance day today, although Evason believes the veteran will be able to play in tomorrow’s home game against Edmonton.

Hunt, 21, would make his NHL debut if he draws into the lineup in the coming days. Drafted as a physically inclined two-way defender, Hunt has yet to record a point in four games with Iowa this season and notched two goals and 11 points in 59 games with them last season, his first campaign in the pros. Selected in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt served as the captain for the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons before turning pro with the Wild.

It’s unlikely to be a lengthy stay on the active roster for Hunt, although roster flexibility is something the Wild desperately need right now, with no healthy extras available to them prior to the recall. Defenseman Alex Goligoski was moved to LTIR last week to create cap space. For now, Minnesota will carry 12 healthy forwards and seven defensemen, the former of which will increase to 13 once winger Matt Boldy is ready to return. Listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury sustained on October 15, Boldy will travel with the Wild on the road trip but will not play Tuesday against the Oilers.

Injury Notes: Vasilevskiy, Luff, Hunt, van Riemsdyk

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The Tampa Bay Lightning are without all-world netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy as the preseason schedule begins. Head coach Jon Cooper informed reporters today, including Diandra Loux of The Hockey News, that the 2021 Conn Smythe winner is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

“He’s wrestling with some things right now, physically,” Cooper said. “It’s early in training camp, so we don’t need to rush anything along with him. When he’s ready to go, he’ll be out there.” Vasilevskiy missing any time would certainly throw a wrench into Tampa Bay’s season, although it thankfully appears that won’t be the case. With salary cap constraints in full force, the team has quite thin goaltending depth and is opting to go with unproven Jonas Johansson as Vasilevskiy’s full-time backup, meaning his workload is in line to be as high as ever. Vasilevskiy didn’t miss any time last season due to injury, but he certainly didn’t look himself in the team’s first-round playoff loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. It was the worst playoff performance of his career save for 2019’s upset loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a .875 save percentage and conceding 5.4 goals above average over the course of six games.

Elsewhere in injury notes from around the league with preseason games underway this afternoon:

  • Detroit Red Wings depth forward Matt Luff left today’s intrasquad scrimmage with a right arm injury after crashing into the boards, reports The Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan. The 26-year-old right wing didn’t crack Detroit’s roster out of camp last season but was recalled after a few weeks, getting into a handful of games before sustaining a wrist injury that sidelined him for 32 games. The undrafted free agent has largely been a fringe player throughout the course of his career, often splitting time between the majors and the minors, and this season is expected to be no different. He was extremely productive in the AHL with Grand Rapids last season when healthy, recording eight goals, 17 assists and 25 points in 28 games. Set to be a restricted free agent this summer, Detroit did not issue him a qualifying offer but re-signed him before free agency opened on July 1 anyway to a league-minimum two-way deal carrying a $450K guarantee.
  • Minnesota Wild defense prospect Daemon Hunt left today’s clash against the Colorado Avalanche and has not returned with a prospective upper-body injury. As The Athletic’s Peter Baugh notes, Hunt hit the ice after an accidental collision behind the net with Avalanche forward Tanner Kero. The 65th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hunt is a promising two-way defense prospect entering his second pro season with AHL Iowa. The 21-year-old recorded two goals, nine assists, 11 points, and a +2 rating in 59 contests with Iowa last season after captaining the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors from 2020 to 2022.
  • Washington Capitals head coach told reporters, including Monumental Sports Network’s Matt Weyrich, that he’s “concerned” about the status of defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk. The veteran right-shot defender left today’s preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres and did not return after a shot from Sabres forward Jordan Greenway struck him in the right wrist area. Van Riemsdyk will undergo further testing tomorrow to determine the severity of the injury and a potential recovery timeline. The 32-year-old is entering the first season of a three-year, $9MM extension he signed last March and is expected to start the season on the team’s third pairing alongside offseason trade acquisition Joel Edmundson.

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