Toronto Maple Leafs: Michael Bunting Extension Rumours

The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a few players becoming unrestricted free agents this summer. One of those players is forward Michael Bunting.

Bunting is having another productive year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points in 73 games.

A slight drop in production compared to last season, but still decent, especially for a player who doesn’t get anytime on the first power-play unit.

Bunting was probably never going to replicate the magical season he had last year, but he still only has three points less than John Tavares at 5v5.. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Before Wednesday night’s game against the Florida Panthers, Bunting needs three goals to set a new career high of 24. His drop in production is his assists count. He finished with 40 assists in 79 games last season. With nine games remaining, he might finish with 30 assists. Although he will not end the season with 63 points like last year, he should still reach 50 points.

Back-to-back 50-point seasons by a player whose cap hit is only $950,000 has been great for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bunting will become a UFA this summer and will want a raise. The question is, how big of a raise is he seeking? Some think he will take a hometown discount to stay in Toronto, but they said the same thing about Zach Hyman. Hyman left for a seven-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers worth $5.5 million a season. (Salary info from capfriendly.com)

Should The Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Michael Bunting?

According to Mike Johnson from TSN, Bunting could fetch a six-year deal worth $24 million on the open market. Bunting would earn $4 million a season in such a deal. He would be 33 years old at the end of that deal, meaning the Leafs would be paying him into his declining years.

I think Bunting has earned the right to make between $3.5 million and $4 million, but I wouldn’t pay him more. Six years at $4 million is a decent deal for Bunting and the Toronto Maple Leafs. A reason for not paying him more than $4 million is that Auston Matthews and William Nylander are both due for extensions that will kick in for the 2024-25 season.

With six other forwards hitting free agency this summer, Toronto will try to save money wherever possible as they restructure their forward group for next season and beyond. The Maple Leafs have $9.1 million in projected salary cap space for next season. If they give $4 million to Bunting, that will leave them with $5.1 million to fill out the rest of their roster.

Considering that Calle Jarnkrok has recently taken Bunting’s spot on the top line with Matthews and Mitch Marner, the Leafs could let Bunting walk. Toronto has Jarnkrok at $2.1 million for the next three seasons, along with Nick Robertson and Matthews Knies on the way.

The Leafs could use the $4 million towards re-signing goaltender Ilya Samsonov. Other players they could look at re-signing are Noel Acciari, David Kampf, and Ryan O’Reilly (on a discount).

.Michael Bunting’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs has been good, but his time with them could be coming to an end. We’ll have to wait and see what happens during the summer.