Warm Welcomes: Introducing the newest Cane Michael Bunting

With two games of the preseason being played, and with the double header today, there has been a lot of buzz around the team.  Some of this is due to returning players we have all come to know and love, but some others have come from new players who we know very little about.  Much like a kid transferring to a new school, these new players have had to learn how to adjust to their new environment.  Whether this be due to being traded from another NHL team, being drafted, or moving up from the AHL.  Regardless of where these new players have been, they are all expected to perform as a team at a high level.  Now being two games into the preseason, these players have shown enough of themselves to truly understand their personality on the ice and their play styles.  Most importantly, it is clearer as to what roles these players will hold on the team.  One player, who came via a trade with the Maple Leafs, has had a lot of Hurricanes fans excited.  This being none other than Michael Bunting

The Good

The Hurricanes signed Bunting to a three-year contract with an annual salary of $4.5 million. During his 2021-2022 season with the Maple Leafs, he was the runner up for the Calder trophy, awarded to the best rookie in the NHL.  He was also selected to the NHL All-Rookie team that very same season.  What propelled Bunting to this position was his 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points on the season, which ranked him 70th that season for total points.  Bunting has the ability to turn the game around quickly, with a remarkable acuity he is capable of making shots hit the net that would’ve otherwise had no results.  Here’s an example of his hockey acuity at work, in which he scores the goal to win in overtime:

One thing that the Hurricanes needed desperately was a player who could score at the most inopportune times.  Just last Conference Finals against the Panthers, the Hurricanes struggled greatly to score on Bobrovsky as their shots lacked variation.  With Bunting’s ability to score off of the deflection and tap-ins, he creates uncertainty as to where the puck is going to be coming from.  With the addition of Bunting, the Hurricanes now have a wild card up their sleeve in terms of how they can score.

The Bad

While Bunting has the potential to be a powerhouse on offense, he has to be careful by making sure he is actually on the ice.  The 2022-2023 season following his All-Rookie nomination, Bunting amounted 103 total penalty minutes, placing him at 10th overall for the most time in the penalty box.  While there is definitely a time and place for a player to be rough and set the tone, it is also a matter of knowing when the best time is and how far to take it.  Committing a penalty that sets your team up to be short-handed, especially in critical moments, has the potential to cost the team the game.  Despite Bunting’s time in the penalty box, Bunting put up 23 goals and 26 assists for a total of 49 points.  While he scored the same number of goals as last season, he had 14 less assists than the previous year.

The Verdict

All of this said, despite the flaw of committing a bit of penalties, Bunting is a phenomenal player.  If Bunting can reduce his time in the penalty box, and works his magic on offense, he has the potential to be a big part of the offense.  As stated earlier, the otherwise fantastic Hurricanes struggled against Bobrovsky largely due to the fact that the shots lacked variation.  Bunting has the ability to dominate near the crease, thus allowing other players to work the outside more. From this analysis, expect Bunting to be a physical, confrontational forward who has the ability to turn duds into big-time plays near the crease.  Some sources have indicated that he would be on the first line with Sabastian Aho and Seth Jarvis.  With this in mind, Bunting’s skills combined with Aho’s ability to score from range and Jarvis’ hockey IQ has set the Hurricane’s up for a dangerous potential first line.

All of this said, of course anything can happen, and only the season will be able to shed light as to what Michael Bunting is capable of.  Comment your insights or analysis of Bunting and the rest of the team below!