What's Different in NHL Free Agency This Season? The Toronto Maple Leafs have added a familiar winger to their roster by signing forward Michael Bunting to a two-year contract worth $1.9 million, according to TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie. The 25-year-old played under Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe and GM Kyle Dubas while with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Bunting scored 10 goals and added three assists in 21 games with the Arizona Coyotes last season. He falls into the rare Group VI category of free agents, players who have played at least three pro seasons, but have appeared in fewer than 80 NHL games prior to turning 25. Bunting will likely factor somewhere into Toronto's bottom-six forwards. His cap hit of $950,000 is palatable and easy to accommodate should he not win a roster spot out of training camp. The contract is Bunting's first one-way deal in the NHL. He is coming off a two-year deal that paid him $737,500 at the NHL level with a guaranteed pay no less than $200,000 in 2020-21. Bunting won a gold medal while playing for Canada at the 2021 IIHF Men's World Hockey Championships. He played in all 10 games but did not record a single point in the tournament. The Leafs have also reportedly added forward Michael Amadio to battle for a spot. According the Sportsnet's Chris Johnston, the deal is a two-way contract worth the league-minimum $750,000 at the NHL level with a minimum salary of $400,000 for 2021-22. Amadio became an unrestricted free agent after his previous team, the Ottawa Senators, did not tender a qualifying offer to retain his rights. Amadio had three assists in 25 games last season split between the Senators and Los Angeles Kings. The 25-year-old has 16 goals and 24 assists in 173 regular season games.
