The Carolina Hurricanes are finalizing signing forward Michael Bunting to a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.5 million.
One of the biggest names on the market has now found a home.
The Carolina Hurricanes continued their massive free agent spending spree on Saturday, agreeing to terms with forward Michael Bunting on a three-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.5 million, according to insiders Kevin Weekes of ESPN and Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
The deal ties Bunting to Carolina through the 2025-26 season and represents the scrappy winger's first major payday of his career, upgrading on his $900,000 annual salary from the past two years.
With 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points in 82 games for the Maple Leafs last season, Bunting certainly brings a ton of value as a top-six scorer.
There are a few concerns with Bunting, though.
First, while his offensive numbers over the past two seasons are terrific, they came while playing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner for the bulk of his usage. When taken off that top line, Bunting struggled to drive play by himself, leading many to wonder what he’s actually capable of when not paired with two borderline-generational scorers.
Secondly, Bunting's discipline, or lack thereof, tangibly hurt the Maple Leafs at various points this past season – even landing him a three-game suspension during the first round of the playoffs. Can Bunting be trusted to keep his head? That remains to be seen.
The Hurricanes are certainly counting on it and will pair Bunting alongside a very good cast of forwards in any of Sebastian Aho, Evgeni Svechnikov, and Martin Necas.
Stay tuned. More moves are continuing to roll in.