Wild General Manager Paul Fenton has made three trades in the past week, with his latest coming Monday night after the Wild defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2.
Fenton swung a deal with Vegas, sending them a 2019 conditional fifth-round draft pick in exchange for defenseman Brad Hunt and a 2019 sixth-round pick.
Fenton must like something about the 30-year-old left-shot defender, who has two goals and five assists in 13 games this season after setting a career-high with 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 45 games during the Golden Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup Final last season.
Related: Why trading Nino Niederreiter made sense for the Wild.
Minnesota college hockey fans might remember his name. Hunt was a member of the 2009 Bemidji State University men’s hockey team that made a run to the NCAA Frozen Four.
Hunt brings more experience to the Wild’s defensive depth than 22-year-old Louie Belpedio, who was reassigned to the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League after appearing in two games since getting a call to the big show on Jan. 18.
He’s also risk-free as he’ll be an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
The Wild defeated Vegas for their second straight impressive win, having beaten Columbus on Hockey Day Minnesota.
The victory puts the Wild back into third place in the Central Division going into their Wednesday road game against the Colorado Avalanche.
