Ex-Leaf may be on his way out in Carolina in the first year of his new contract
Following another early playoff exit by the Leafs in May, there was a lot of speculation that Kyle Dubas was not even considering bringing Michael Bunting back after the reputation he had earned with the NHL's officials. However, when Brad Treliving took over as GM of the Leafs, it made the situation a bit more cloudy, as Bunting is certainly the type of player that Treliving likes.
In the end, Bunting's asking price was out of Toronto's range, and thus, the Scarborough native inked a 3-year deal with Carolina instead of remaining a Leaf. In his first season with the Canes, though, Bunting found himself rapidly slipping down the depth chart and, as a result, the Canes are reportedly looking at finding him a new home just a few months into his deal, despite the fact that he's been heating up of late.
During Saturday's Hockey Night in Canada coverage on Sportsnet, Elliotte Friedman issued the following report on Bunting:
It's unclear if Bunting's reputation with the league's referees has anything to do with the Canes' consideration of moving him. Friedman did not name any of the interested parties, but the fact that there were multiple interested parties leads to the idea that it wouldn't be hard for the Canes to move him if they choose to.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 31 | 789 ANSWERS Ex-Leaf may be on his way out in Carolina in the first year of his new contract Do you think the Hurricanes will move Michael Bunting before the deadline to free up some cap space? | ||
| Yes | 511 | 64.8 % |
| No | 278 | 35.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
