Brad Hunt Retires at 288 Games, and Minnesota's Depth Problem Keeps Getting Louder

Brad Hunt announced his retirement Sunday — 288 NHL games, seven franchises, undrafted, a decade in the league on sheer persistence. He spent time with the Wild, which is why the news lands here, but this is a quiet send-off for a quiet career. Hunt earned every shift he got.

The timing, though, is hard to ignore. Minnesota is heading into August with Charlie Stramel still out and a blue line that has been shorthanded since late June. I've been writing about this injury cluster since July 29, and the list has barely moved. Brodin, Bogosian, Gustavsson, Eriksson Ek — the same names, the same status, week after week. Hunt's retirement doesn't create a hole so much as it reminds you the holes already exist.

The center situation is the more pressing concern. Michael McCarron is currently the top center on the depth chart, and his production last season was a fraction of what a starting pivot should provide. That's a problem that Coleman and Maatta — both acquired from Calgary in July — don't solve. My read is that the front office knows this and is still working on it, but nothing has moved publicly.

Hunt's career was a good one by any honest measure. For Minnesota right now, the more relevant question is who fills the next training camp roster spot when it needs filling. The answer isn't obvious yet.