The Toronto Maple Leafs have had an extremely active offseason so far, but all indications are that they’re far from finished and would like to continue reshaping their roster in the coming months.
There remain plenty of intriguing options available on the free-agent market in order to do so, and in a recent matchmaker article for The Score, Josh Wegman pegged the return of Michael Bunting as a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs.
“Best fit: Toronto Maple Leafs
Bunting racked up a career-high 63 points in 2021-22 with the Maple Leafs while riding shotgun with Auston Matthews, who won the Hart Trophy that season. Perhaps a reunion could benefit both sides. Bunting, a native of Scarborough, Ontario, plays with the type of heart and soul Toronto seems to be targeting under its new leadership group. He’s also pesky and a strong offensive play-driver who could play up and down the lineup,”
The 30-year-old Bunting is, of course, a UFA after finishing the three-year, $13.5 million contract he signed to join the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency in 2023. He tallied 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 74 games split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars last season.
Bunting had tremendous success during his two-year stint in Toronto, displaying terrific chemistry with Auston Matthews, as Wegman noted.
If the veteran winger isn’t asking for too much money or term, the Maple Leafs should absolutely inquire about what it would take to bring him back in a move that would further augment their top-six. GM John Chayka is also familiar with Bunting from their time together with the then-Arizona Coyotes.
They don’t currently have the cap space to make it happen, but if Chayka is able to shed a contract — perhaps one like Morgan Rielly’s — then turning back to the free-agent market for a player like Bunting could make a lot of sense.
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