Michael Bunting

Michael Bunting

29-Year-Old Left WingLW
Pittsburgh Penguins
2024 Fantasy Outlook
In his first full NHL campaign back in 2021-22, Bunting racked up a career-best 23 goals and 40 assists while playing in 79 games for the Maple Leafs. In the two seasons since, the two-way forward hasn't been able to get back over the 60-point threshold. Having said that, the 28-year-old winger clearly enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh, maintaining nearly a point-per-game with 19 points in 21 outings after he was traded from the Hurricanes. Bunting appears to finally be the answer to the club's search for a winger to play with Evgeni Malkin - a role that could set him up to top that rookie point total and offer top-end fantasy value in 2024-25. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with the Hurricanes in July of 2023.
Scores in loss to Blue Jackets
LWPittsburgh Penguins
November 16, 2024
Bunting scored a power-play goal in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Blue Jackets.
ANALYSIS
Bunting recorded just one point -- an assist in the 6-3 win over Montreal on Oct. 14 -- in 11 games in October. However, he's turned things around now that the calendar has flipped to November with four points (three goals and a helper) in seven contests this month. The slow start seems to be a thing of the past now, and if Bunting remains consistent with his scoring, he could experience an uptick in his fantasy upside, particularly since he holds a top-six role in the lineup.
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NHL Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2018
2024 NHL Game Log
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2023 NHL Game Log
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2024–25 Time On Ice Stats
  • Average Time On Ice:
    14:14
  • Average Power Play TOI:
    1:25
  • Average Short-Handed TOI:
    0:00
 
Ice Time
Power Play
Short-Handed
2022–23
15:48
1:49
0:00
2023–24
15:07
2:50
0:01
2023–24
17:19
2:51
0:00
2024–25
14:14
1:25
0:00
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Penguins Power Play Depth Chart
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37 days ago
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46 days ago
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
Bunting was a late bloomer, but at the age of 26, he took advantage of an opportunity to play regularly alongside Mitchell Marner and Auston Matthews, which led to Bunting finishing third in Calder Trophy voting in 2021-22 after scoring 23 goals and 63 points in 79 contests. However, despite once again getting to play alongside elite forwards, Bunting regressed in 2022-23 to 23 goals and 49 points in 82 contests. He can make his presence known by playing with a level of nastiness, as evidenced by his 80 PIM in 2021-22 and 103 last year, though the winger's not a great source of hits, having never finished with more than 85 in a single campaign. Bunting tested the unrestricted free agent market over the summer and ultimately signed a three-year, $13.5 million deal with Carolina. The Hurricanes have more depth on the left wing than Toronto did, which might result in Bunting going from a first-line option to a third-line mainstay. That will put a damper on his offensive production, though his tenacity should remain a factor to maintain solid mid-round fantasy value.
One of the best values in the league in 2021-22, Bunting was signed by the Leafs to a $950K contract and rewarded them with 23 goals and 63 points in 79 games. It was enough to make Bunting a finalist for the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year, eventually won by Detroit's Moritz Seider. As good as Bunting played, he would seem to be a prime regression candidate this coming year. His time with the man advantage is limited (1:17 per game last season) and it's unlikely he'll score at the same clip when not surrounded by the likes of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. Let another fantasy manager pay for Bunting's past production.
Bunting turned a 21-game audition with the Coyotes in 2020-21 into a two-year deal with the Maple Leafs in free agency. The reason: he scored 10 goals and added three assists while logging top-six minutes toward the end of last season. It doesn't take much to realize Bunting will likely experience a drop-off in both ice time and quality of play in 2021-22 -- he converted his shots at 26.3 percent in a limited sample last year on a bad team. The Maple Leafs' wing depth makes it unlikely Bunting cracks Toronto's top six this year, although he could still be effective as an energy winger on the third line. The 25-year-old probably won't top 25 points once regression takes hold, although he could start the year with power-play duties, which would provide a boost to his scoring numbers given the talent around him.
More Fantasy News
Scores in Friday's win
LWPittsburgh Penguins
November 8, 2024
Bunting scored a goal on three shots and added two hits in Friday's 4-2 win over the Capitals.
ANALYSIS
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Finds twine in loss
LWPittsburgh Penguins
November 6, 2024
Bunting scored his first goal of the season in Tuesday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Islanders.
ANALYSIS
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Records assist in win
LWPittsburgh Penguins
October 14, 2024
Bunting had an assist, two shots on goal and one hit in Monday's 6-3 win over Montreal.
ANALYSIS
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Two helpers in season finale
LWPittsburgh Penguins
April 18, 2024
Bunting recorded a pair of assists in Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Islanders.
ANALYSIS
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Gets back to 20-goal mark
LWPittsburgh Penguins
April 13, 2024
Bunting scored twice and went minus-2 in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Bruins.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Joining Team Canada
LWPittsburgh Penguins
May 3, 2024
Bunting will play for Team Canada in the upcoming 2024 IIHF World Championship.
ANALYSIS
Bunting had 19 goals and 55 points in 81 regular-season contests between Carolina and Pittsburgh in 2023-24. He won a gold medal with Canada in the 2021 IIHF World Championship, though he finished that tournament with no points in 10 appearances.
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