Toronto Maple Leafs: Michael Bunting Does Not Deserve Demotion

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Michael Bunting to a two-year contract this past off-season, signing the late-blooming forward to a two-year deal just over the league minimum.

Bunting rewarded the Toronto Maple Leafs faith by scoring frequently in the pre-season and earning a job on the team’s top line along Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

With goals in two of his first four games, it looked like Bunting was going to pick up where he left off last year (scoring an absolute ton on the Arizona Coyotes).

But it was not to be.  Bunting went ice cold, scoring only once more on the top line over the next 11 games.  Then Saturday he was demoted, and, wouldn’t you know it, he scored a goal.

In today’s practice, Bunting is again lining up on the fourth line, with Nick Ritchie getting a massively undeserved promotion. (Unearned, maybe, but definitely understandable: The Leafs spent more than twice the amount of Bunting on Ritchie, so they’d clearly like to get him going).

But despite not scoring, Bunting does not deserve a demotion – he’s actually been quite good.

Toronto Maple Leafs Flip Two Players for Bad Reasons

I am going to give the Leafs the benefit of the doubt here and assume that this move is made in order to try and salvage something from Nick Ritchie, and not, just because that signing looks horrible right now. (all stats naturalstattrick.com).

But Bunting is getting one of the least deserved demotions I’ve ever seen.

With Bunting on the ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs are currently getting 56% puck possession, 60% of the scoring chances, 58% of the dangerous chances, and 60% of the expected-goals.

In fact, statistically, the Bunting-Matthes-Nylander line has been among the best in the NHL.

They have been outscored 10-7, which is a fluke, based on shooting-percentage.  With Bunting on the ice, the Leafs are shooting under 6%.

It’s easy to blame Bunting for the top line’s lack of offense, but it is a mathematical impossibility that Bunting is the reason why Matthews’ on-ice shooting percentage at 5v5 has dropped by over half this season so far.

Matthews individual shooting percentage is at 5%  and it is usually between 15-18%.  This despite the fact that his expected-goals are actually up.

Statistically – and it’s a very short sample size, but still worth mentioning – Matthews is doing better with Bunting and Nylander than he was doing with Hyman and Marner.  They just aren’t getting the goals.

But the goals will come.  Matthews has only two 5v5 goals, and the Leafs as a team are not scoring as much at 5v5 as they should be.  Time will correct this.  In the meantime, you can’t blame the coach for tinkering, but it’s really not necessary.

Bunting has been fantastic and does not deserve his demotion.