The Minnesota Wild announced this afternoon that they have removed defenseman and captain Jared Spurgeon from Long-Term Injured Reserve. They have also reassigned defenseman Daemon Hunt to the Iowa Wild. Spurgeon has been on LTIR since the beginning of the season after sustaining an upper-body injury during the preseason. Spurgeon will make his season debut tonight against the Sabres in Buffalo.
Spurgeon will be a welcome sight for a defensive core who have struggled through the beginning of the season. Jake Middleton, Spurgeon’s regular defensive partner, has struggled without Spurgeon’s even-keeled defense next to him. Even though Middleton has managed to pick up 8 points this season (2 goals and six assists), he’s currently sitting at a +/- of -7.
Daemon Hunt has been traveling and playing with the Wild since his NHL debut on October 27th in Washington against the Capitals. He’s played in 5 games this season with the MN Wild, managing three shots on goal while averaging 8:36 TOI. In his latest game in New York against the Rangers, Hunt skated beside newcomer Zach Bogosian, who was picked up in a trade two days ago from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hunt returns to the Iowa Wild, where he’s started this third season with the team. So far, he’s played four games in Iowa this year before being called to Minnesota for his NHL debut. There are still two players with the Wild who were recalled from Iowa: Vinnit Lettieri and Dakota Mermis. Lettieri has been skating on the fourth line with Brandon Duhaime and Connor Dewar. Mermis has been a strong defenseman with the mixed-up D-pairs, skating with a number of regular Wild players like Jon Merrill and Middleton.
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