When Michael Bunting signed a two-year contract with Toronto last summer, Leafs fans didn't know what to expect. A kid that grew up in Scarborough who played under Kyle Dubas, and Sheldon Keefe with the Soo Greyhounds, was drafted 117th overall by the Arizona Coyotes in 2014 and spent most of his professional playing career in the AHL didn't seem very appealing.
However, just over a year later, Bunting became a Calder finalist, had a career year with 63 points during his first entire season in the NHL and is slotted in the left wing of the Leafs top line alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. The kid from Scarborough has now made a name for himself.
With one year remaining on his contract, it's hard to say what kind of offer the Leafs will extend to Bunting, but there's a possibility of a long-term renewal, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun.
The prospect pool the Leafs has is deep, with guys like Nick Robertson and Matthew Knies showing great potential. But would they be enough to replace a guy like Bunting if need be? Would eight years be too long to keep Bunting?
With the season just starting, it's hard to predict the impact Bunting will have again for the team, but with his top-line position secured, it's almost a given he's going to produce, seeing the two guys he's playing beside.
