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Columbus Blue Jackets nearly done with roster after signing Fasching, Hunt for depth
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- Columbus Blue Jackets nearly done with roster after signing Fasching, Hunt for depth
General manager Don Waddell is putting the final touches on the Blue Jackets ' organizational depth chart.
After agreeing to terms with defenseman Daemon Hunt on Aug. 15, the Jackets' final unsigned restricted free agent, Waddell added depth up front Aug. 18 by signing unrestricted free agent forward Hudson Fasching .
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Both deals are one year in length and split the players' salaries between NHL and AHL rates. Hunt, 23, will get a rate of $775,000 for NHL games and $80,000 in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters. Fasching, 30, gets an NHL rate of $775,000 and an AHL rate of $250,000 in Cleveland.
New York Islanders right wing Hudson Fasching watches as Blue Jackets goaltender Michael Hutchinson attempts to control the puck on May 24, 2023.
Both have NHL experience, but Fasching has more, with 17 goals, 23 assists and 40 points over 175 games for the New York Islanders , Arizona Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres .
"Hudson Fasching is a hard-working, responsible winger with size who plays with a great deal of energy," Waddell said in a statement. "His high character, experience and versatility strengthens our organizational depth up front and we're happy to welcome him to the Blue Jackets."
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Fasching, selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round of the 2013 NHL Draft (No. 118 overall), played 43 games last season with the Islanders and added 2-2-4 as a depth forward who played primarily on the fourth line.
Daemon Hunt lines up as a defenseman for the Wild against the Canucks on Dec. 16, 2023.
Hunt was selected by the Minnesota Wild in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft (65thoverall) and was acquired Nov. 30, 2024, in a trade that sent the Blue Jackets' 2022 sixth-overall pick, defenseman David Jiricek , to the Wild.
Hunt is listed at a stout 6 feet 1, 201 pounds and prioritizes defense while playing a gritty, hard-nosed game on the blue line. He played 13 games for the Wild since making his NHL debut Oct. 27, 2023, against the Washington Capitals , adding one point by assisting a goal and blocking 19 shots.
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Hunt, a left-handed shooter, finished with 2-16-18 in 57 AHL games last season, divided between the Iowa Wild and Monsters. He upped his AHL career numbers to 8-51-59 in 173 games split over four seasons and is expected to provide organizational depth while starting the pending season in Cleveland.
" Daemon Hunt is a good, young two-way defenseman who plays a smart and controlled game," Waddell said in a statement. "His signing provides us important additional organizational depth on our blue line."
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets nearly done after signing Fasching, Hunt
