With Brad Marchand set to miss the start of the season while he recovers from offseason surgery, the Florida Panthers may need help fast. They also may have a chance to solve more than one problem at once.
One name that fits the bill is unrestricted free agent Michael Bunting. He’s been around the league since 2018-19, spending time with the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars. At this stage of the calendar, and with Florida tight to the salary cap, Bunting stands out as the kind of low-cost swing that could pay off without much downside.
A one-year league-minimum contract would make sense, especially with training camp already underway and Bunting still unsigned. A professional tryout is another possibility, though there has been no word that Florida is moving in that direction yet.
Bunting’s most recent season was a steady one rather than a flashy one. He played 74 games split between Nashville and Dallas, scoring 14 goals, adding 19 assists, and finishing with 20 penalty minutes and a minus-7 rating.
Thirteen of those goals came in 61 games with the Predators. It wasn’t his biggest offensive year, but it showed he can still handle a depth role - the same kind of assignment he’d likely get in Florida.
His scoring peak came earlier, when he was with the Maple Leafs and getting top-six minutes. That stretch produced his best offensive numbers, including 20-goal seasons in both 2021-22 and 2022-23. He has also reached double figures in goals in four other seasons, including 14 goals in 2024-25 with the Penguins, 13 in 2023-24 with Carolina, and 10 goals in 21 games during his rookie season with Arizona in 2020-21.
The playoff track record is part of the appeal, too. In 14 postseason games, mostly with Toronto, Bunting has two goals and six points.
He also brings a bite to his game when the games get tighter, piling up 19 penalty minutes and 26 hits. That kind of edge is exactly why he makes sense as a depth add for a team chasing another Stanley Cup run.
Stylistically, Bunting checks a lot of the same boxes as Marchand. He plays with a hard edge, he agitates, and he doesn’t shy away from the kind of pressure that wears opponents down. As a left winger, he would be an obvious candidate to slide onto the third line with Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen if Florida needs someone in Marchand’s spot.
If the Panthers can make the money work, Bunting could be more than just a short-term patch. He’d give them an affordable, physical forward who can chip in offensively and maybe carve out a longer role if things click. And if he’s willing to take a major cut from the $4.5 million he made annually on his last deal, the fit between player and team looks pretty clean.
In Other News...
Jacob Markstrom's Panthers Return Brings Back More Than Familiar Faces
Jacob Markstroms return gives the Panthers something more than a new starting goalie. It also reconnects them with a player who knows the organization from another era, back when he was a young draft pick trying to carve out a place in South Florida. After leaving the franchise years ago, Markstrom came back with plenty of familiarity around the room and a clear appreciation for how much the team has grown since he was last here.
The reunion even reaches into the current roster, where Dmitry Kulikov, Alexander Petrovic and Sasha Barkov all shared the ice with Markstrom during the 2013-14 season. Barkov, in particular, still remembers a favor Markstrom did for him back then, a small reminder of how long these ties have lasted. For the Panthers, the signing is about stability in net, but it also feels like one more layer of continuity for a team that has spent years building toward this moment. [Read more 🡒]
Sabres' Goalie Search Just Got More Interesting Than Fans Realized
Elliotte Friedman added another layer to the offseason goalie chatter on the 32 Thoughts podcast, saying the Sabres and Panthers both showed interest in Winnipegs Connor Hellebuyck. For Florida, it fits the larger picture of a team that kept exploring ways to stabilize the crease before ultimately settling its goaltending plan elsewhere, while Winnipegs stance made the market tougher to navigate from the start.
The Jets were looking for a goalie back rather than future assets, which instantly complicated any possible deal and put a premium on matching the right pieces in return. Friedman also noted that draft picks and no-trade clauses were part of the conversation, a sign that these talks had enough substance to matter even if they never got close to the finish line, and Winnipegs broader search may still intersect with other names like Alexander Nikishin. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Prospect Kai Schwindt Enters A Make-Or-Break Stretch
Kai Schwindts path through the Panthers system has already taken him across plenty of rungs, from the OHL to the ECHL and AHL, with stops in Mississauga, Sarnia, Florida, Savannah and Charlotte. Signed to a three-year entry-level deal on Sept. 30, 2022, after standing out at the organizations development and training camps, he has spent the last few seasons trying to turn that early promise into a clearer role as a pro.
Now, the stretch ahead matters more than ever for a player still trying to establish his place in the pipeline. Schwindt has spent time developing with Charlotte, and the next step will go a long way toward showing whether he can keep climbing within the Panthers structure or if his window to make a stronger impression is starting to narrow. [Read more 🡒]