The Columbus Blue Jackets will have some interesting roster decisions to make. Among them, how will the defensive unit shake out?
Short of an extended injury, the top-six appears to be set. Here’s what that could look like coming opening night.
- Zach Werenski – Dante Fabbro
- Denton Mateychuk – Ivan Provorov
- Damon Severson – Erik Gudbranson
Many believe Jake Christiansen is in line to be the seventh defenseman. Assuming the Blue Jackets keep two goalies on the roster, that leaves room either for a 14th forward or an eighth defenseman.
That puts Daemon Hunt right in the middle of the roster bubble at the start of camp. Will the 2025-26 season be the year he finally breaks through?
Time to Prove Himself
Hunt knows how big a season this is. He was acquired by the Blue Jackets in the trade that saw David Jiricek go to the Minnesota Wild.
Hunt was not just a throw in as part of this trade. The Blue Jackets see a player here. But entering his age 23 season, he knows the time is now to show he’s ready for a bigger role. He is eager to do so.
Hunt’s season ended prematurely last season due to a wrist injury. Cleveland Monsters’ head coach Trent Vogelhuber had the chance to talk with Hunt about his season and what they wanted to see from him moving forward.
“I think for me, the biggest area was offensive improving that side,” Hunt said. “I wasn’t too happy with my numbers last year. It’s just one of those years where you just can’t really find the back of the net. I was hitting posts. I was missing open nets. Just like that type of stuff I think and also retrieving pucks, taking the time to make the right play instead of rushing it. That was a key focus for me. So those are always in my head, just trying to think about that and trying to improve on that all summer.”
Hunt spent this summer in Calgary training at Crash Conditioning. While he worked on getting bigger, faster and stronger, his main focus was working on his weaknesses and exploring them both on and off the ice.
Hunt knows this is a big training camp for him. With as much competition on the Blue Jackets for so few spots, he understands that even the littlest things in his game could be the difference between making the roster or starting in the AHL again.
“I think it’s a lot of having very good details,” Hunt said about the keys to making the NHL. “I think everyone out there can skate, can pass, can shoot, but I think guys that can think the game at a very high level and make those plays at a very high level are the ones that get to the next level. And everyone’s out there competing, working hard, but you got to be able to think the game just as well and as fast. I think that’s a big part of it and I think I can think the game really fast too.”
Being traded in any league can be hard. It can also be shocking to a player especially when they don’t see it coming.
Hunt says being involved in last season’s trade from the Wild really shocked him. But after some reflection, he realized that he was more than just a throw in.
“I was definitely shocked when I found out,” Hunt recalled. “I got sat down by the GM of Minnesota and Iowa. I think a lot of emotions are going through your head at the time and you don’t really look at the bigger picture. That’s the past (now) and that’s something I can’t really control so at the same time saying that I’m so excited to be here. I’ve heard I wasn’t just a throw in in the trade. They want me and so that’s really good motivation for sure. I really appreciate that and I take that at a personal level.”
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Hunt skated on Saturday with defenseman Erik Gudbranson as part of the first group. With Denton Mateychuk still not on the ice yet, it gives Hunt a chance to show what he can do and how far he’s come. He is certainly appreciative of the time spent around Gudbranson and other veterans.
“I’m always trying to ask questions as much as I can for those guys,” Hunt said. “And just to be with Gudbranson today, it’s good to just see how he does things, how he communicates and how he is in the gym. I’m always taking little mental notes. But it’s fun to be around him and I feel like I can keep up with him too, so that’s good.”
We’ll see as camp moves on how much Hunt can show. The Blue Jackets will have to decide if it’s best for him to play in the AHL top minutes or stay in the NHL as a potential healthy scratch to start. No matter what the outcome is, Hunt’s only focus is to make the Columbus Blue Jackets now.
“I think it’s a big year coming off the entry level (and) signing one year,” Hunt said. “This is a year where I need to make that big jump. I’m 23 and I’m getting to the age where I need to turn it up and show everyone wrong. So I’m here to do it.”
