Per multiple reports, including an initial report from The Fourth Period’s James Nichols, the Carolina Hurricanes are signing forward Michael Bunting to a three-year contract. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports it will carry a $4.5MM average annual value. The team later made the deal official.
Bunting will likely fill the role Carolina envisioned Max Pacioretty would occupy last season, missing out on the services of the top-flight scoring winger thanks to two Achilles injuries. Bunting is no Pacioretty, make no mistake, but he does have plenty of experience playing with elite players, stapled to Auston Matthews’ wing in Toronto for much of the past two seasons.
His scoring trailed off a bit in 2022-23, posting 49 points after tallying 63 in 2021-22, but he’s still scored 20-plus goals in back-to-back campaigns and provides a secondary scoring threat that Carolina sorely needs. He adds an element of aggressiveness on the forecheck that’s sure to support the scoring ability of Sebastian Aho, who could very well be his centerman on opening night.
Carolina now has five legitimate top-six wingers, which could mean Martin Necas slips back to a center-ice role between Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen and knocks Jesperi Kotkaniemi to the team’s bottom six. Teravainen could also fall down the lineup after a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
Regardless, this is a solid acquisition for Carolina, who should expect between 60 and 80 goals from Bunting over the life of the deal.
“So, what are the drills, today, Skip?”
Brindy, The Fitness Beast – “PK, Boyz!”
“Ummm, why?”
Brindy, The Fitness Beast – “Bunting.”
“Can’t we just bag-skate, instead?”
Brindy, The Fitness Beast – “No.”
Canes loading up.
I like Brind’Amour and the Canes are fun to watch but this ass bag signing ruins it for me.
Great news for the leafs here, Bunting is officially gone, I call that a addition by subtraction.
Good luck finding the 20 goals and toughNess he brings
Yeah he looked real tough in the playoffs lol I get what you saying, he was the only one who stood up for anyone in any situation, but his act got old and he became more of a joke to the league then actually intimidating anyone.
toughness? I mean sure next to Marner, Nylander, Matthews, Rielly, I guess anyone can look tough