Canes land second big target, sign Michael Bunting to three-year deal
© John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports - Canes land second big target, sign Michael Bunting to three-year dealThe Carolina Hurricanes went fishing again and landed their second big catch of the day, signing forward Michael Bunting to a three-year, $13.5 million deal.
The former Toronto Maple Leaf scored 23 goals last season - and the season prior - and registered 49 points, but most notably, he's a pest.
The signing kills two birds with one stone for the Hurricanes as the team needed more goal scoring as well as an agitator.
Bunting is a supportive winger who makes his linemates' lives easier. He's a hard forechecker who brings some grit and will standup for teammates and he has a knack for cleaning up around the net, something the Canes desperately need.
While Bunting perhaps saw his number pop due to playing next to two superstars in Toronto, his analytical impact has always been high even dating back to his time in Arizona.
A concern regarding Bunting is his penchant for taking bad penalties, but he draws calls at just as high a rate, leaving him nearly a net neutral player in that regard, rather than a burden.
Here's the team's official press release:
‘CANES SIGN BUNTING TO THREE-YEAR CONTRACT
Forward has scored 23 goals in each of the last two seasons
RALEIGH, N.C. – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Michael Bunting to a three-year, $13.5 million contract. The deal will pay Bunting an average-annual value (AAV) of $4.5 million per season through
“Michael is an excellent fit for our hard-working, forechecking style,” said Waddell. “He is effective along the walls and in front of the net, and he is a proven scoring threat from the dirty areas of the ice."
Bunting, 27, recorded 49 points (23g, 26a) in 82 regular-season games with Toronto in 2022-23, and added two points (1g, 1a) in seven contests during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He ranked fifth on the team in goals and points, also setting career highs in power-play goals (7), power-play points (10) and game-winning goals (4). The 6’0”, 192-pound forward tallied a career-high 63 points (23g, 40a) in 79 games with the Maple Leafs in 2021-22 and was selected as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s Rookie of the Year. Bunting has skated in 187 career NHL games with Arizona and Toronto since debuting with the Coyotes in 2018-19, earning 126 points (57g, 69a). He also registered 205 points (85g, 120a) in 323 career American Hockey League (AHL) games with Springfield and Tucson from 2015-21, serving as an alternate captain with the Roadrunners in 2020-21. The Scarborough, Ont., native won a gold medal with Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Championship. Bunting was selected by Arizona in the fourth round, 117th overall, of the 2014 NHL Draft.
