Michael Bunting Signs With Hurricanes
Michael Bunting is out of Toronto. The former fourth round pick is signing a three-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes. After picking up Dmitry Orlov, Don Waddell is continuing to add in free agency. James Nichols reported the news of the term:
Hearing Michael Bunting signs in Carolina, 3 years.
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) July 1, 2023
Bunting is an OK add for a forward group that serious lacks depth. He will probably take the role that Max Pacioretty would’ve had in Carolina before blowing out his Achilles. The former All-Rookie selection had some very solid scoring years for the Leafs. The Ontario native has put up 112 points combined over the last two seasons playing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. He will now trade that in for Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, or others.
Hurricane Brewing
The Canes have gotten a lot done in a few hour. Jesper Fast and Antti Raanta are both returning. Orlov is the #1 defenseman on the market this Summer. And when fully healthy, Bunting would probably add a lot to this forward group. Many, including myself, have gone after the Canes front office for not using their pile of resources to swing a big trade. While none of these are that, Carolina continues to make smart acquisitions with not too much risk.
The focus will now shift to Brett Pesce. Many thought that by today Carolina would have either signed him back or traded him. With Orlov in the fold, it now becomes more likely that the Canes deal Pesce. It’s not the worst thing in the world, considering the cup winner will now become his replacement. Waddell gets some more potential assets and doesn’t constrain their cap.
The Carolina Hurricanes continued their busy start to free agency. Adding a forward in Michael Bunting that fits in with their timeline could prove to be useful.
