Toronto Maple Leafs: Michael Bunting Has Priced Himself Out of Toronto
The Toronto Maple Leafs face an interesting offseason in the coming months and lots of big decisions will need to be made.
Among the list of other things to do, such as finding a new General Manager, the Toronto Maple Leafs need to figure out what to do with their upcoming free agents.
There are a total of ten UFAs that the Leafs have to deal with.
The most intriguing one is Michael Bunting.
Michael Bunting Has Priced Himself Off the Toronto Maple Leafs
The 27-year-old forward has brought two productive seasons in his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs but has likely priced himself out of Toronto.
Bunting joined the Leafs at the end of the 2020-21 season, signing a low-risk, high-reward contract. He signed a 2-year deal worth only $1.9 million, which is an AAV of just $950,000.
Bunting became one of the best bargains in the NHL in his first two years with the Leafs, scoring 23 goals in both seasons and notching 63 points and 49 points, respectively. (stats: nhl.com)
Not bad at all for a player making less than $1 million.
Despite Bunting’s strong play, it is unlikely the Leafs will re-sign him this offseason.
Michael Bunting has earned himself a contract worth, at minimum, at least $4 million per season. The Leafs could find the money if they wanted to, but with Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies both playing on entry-level deals, it doesn’t make sense to spend big on an auxiliary forward.
Bunting has been a very versatile forward for the Leafs, being able to play on almost every forward line, as well as on the power play. He’s an excellent player, and it’s possible they will sign him, but it doesn’t seem likely.
He is also one of the better Leafs forwards when it comes to scoring dirty goals, every team wants a player who can win battles in front of the net and bang the puck home.
However, due to the Leafs cheaper options, as well as his antics in the first round of the playoffs, it is likely Michael Bunting has played his last game for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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If the Leafs can bring him back on a hometown discount deal, I would not be against that by any means. But it’s unlikely the Leafs can afford to spend big on a player like this, and it won’t be the same watching him play in another jersey if he signs somewhere else.