The Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Daemon Hunt to a two-way deal for 2025-26, per a team announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed. Hunt, 23, was their last remaining unsigned restricted free agent. The Jackets acquired the lefty from the Wild in the David Jiricek trade last November, but he didn’t see any NHL ice for them after the swap. Instead, the 2020 third-round pick finished the season with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he recorded a 2-12–14 scoring line in 48 games with a -8 rating. That marked a step back from his offensive production with Minnesota’s affiliate, the Iowa Wild, in 2023-24, when he produced over half a point per game with 29 in 51 contests. Near the end of his time with the Wild, Hunt had worked his way up to the No. 8-9 range on Minnesota’s defensive depth chart. He has 13 NHL appearances under his belt, 12 of which came in 2023-24. The Manitoba native played sparingly when dressed, though, recording one assist and averaging only 11:14 per game. He still managed to
