Leafs have reached out to Bunting's agent about contract extension: report

The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to keep Michael Bunting around past this season.

For how long? How much money? And will he actually sign the deal? Well, that’s still anyone’s best guess.

“Hearing that the Leafs this week have touched base with Michael Bunting’s camp,” TSN’s Pierre LeBrun tweeted on Tuesday afternoon. “[It’s] a very, very preliminary chat about the pending UFA and next contract. Nothing concrete yet. Unclear where this goes at this point.”

Hearing that the Leafs this week have touched based with Michael Bunting's camp, a very, very preliminary chat about the pending UFA and next contract. Nothing concrete yet. Unclear where this goes at this point.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) January 3, 2023

In other words: there’s some interest from Toronto to keep the winger around, but that’s easier said than done for a player set for his biggest payday yet as a pending unrestricted free agent this year.

Bunting’s story is widely documented: a 2014 draft pick of the Arizona Coyotes, he didn’t crack the NHL as a regular until six years after being drafted.

Arizona let Bunting walk in free agency, where he signed a two-year contract worth $1.9 million total prior to the 2021-22 campaign, and quickly became one of the best bargain deals in Leafs history.

Despite being 26 years old, Bunting was still considered a “rookie”, finishing third in Calder Trophy voting with his 23-goal, 40-assist season, his first in Toronto. This season, he has 11 goals and 15 assists in 37 games, while trending in the right direction in just about every advanced offensive category.

Bunting continues to be very good offensively this season. I was somewhat hoping we'd see him play with Matthews less this year, but he's actually played even more 5v5 time this season than last (83% vs. 78% last year). Still a very interesting player… pic.twitter.com/DHRxTajczd

— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) January 3, 2023

Bunting has often been seen as a “replacement” for former Leaf Zach Hyman: a gritty forward with some skill who thrives playing in the team’s top-six forwards like Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews.

Like Bunting, Hyman also grew up in Toronto and was traded to his hometown team a few years after getting drafted.

Loyalty might mean something, but it doesn’t always mean everything when it comes to contract negotiations.

Hyman, of course, left Toronto in free agency at age 28 for a top-six role with the Edmonton Oilers in Summer 2021, on a seven-year deal worth $5.5 million per season.

Hyman’s previous career high in points with Toronto was 41, before putting up a 27-27-54 campaign in Edmonton last year while often playing alongside Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Only time will tell what sort of deal the Leafs and Bunting work out — or don’t. Like LeBrun said, it remains unclear where this goes.

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