No. 2: Michael Bunting
The Scarborough, ON native is getting the biggest opportunity of his young career, as he’ll more than likely be playing alongside a combination of either Auston Matthews-Mitch Marner or William Nylander-John Tavares.
By playing alongside such skilled players, Bunting will shine and will score 20-plus goals for the Leafs.
In 26 career games, Bunting has 11 goals. He has a very high-shooting percentage in those games that is not sustainable in an 82-game regular season, but he’s shown that he can score at every level he’s played. Bunting played at a 20-goal per season pace in the AHL and that will continue with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Playing back in your hometown is a tough challenge for some players, but Bunting will seize this opportunity.
After his first year, Kyle Dubas is going to look like a genius that he secured Bunting on a two-year deal worth only $900 AAV and he’ll be one of the best bright spots on the roster.