Michael Bunting has spent the last few seasons bouncing from Toronto to Carolina to Pittsburgh to Nashville and then Dallas, but the next stop could be the one that actually makes the most sense: Edmonton.
That idea isn’t coming out of nowhere. It starts with a familiar Toronto connection.
When Kyle Dubas let Zach Hyman leave for the Oilers, the reaction in Toronto was immediate and ugly. Then Dubas brought in Bunting on a two-year deal with a $950K AAV, and the pitch was obvious - a cheaper, younger version of Hyman.
Bunting didn’t just fill the role for a minute. He put together two strong seasons in Toronto, finishing with 63 points and then 49, both still the best numbers of his career.
Now he’s a free agent question mark again, and Edmonton looks like a natural fit.
What Bunting brings is the kind of game the Oilers have quietly lost. He plays hard, he gets under people’s skin, and he thrives in the messy areas that turn shifts into problems for the other team.
With Corey Perry gone, Evander Kane gone, Vincent Desharnais gone, and now Darnell Nurse out of the picture, Edmonton has fewer players who can drag an opponent into the muck. Bunting has that edge.
He has that “rat” element. And right now, the Oilers could use more of it.
There’s also a stylistic overlap with some of the players already in the room. Vasili Podkolzin and Colton Dach are the closest to that type of forward, but both are still young and learning how far they can push that part of their game.
Trent Frederic, too, would need to lean harder into that identity to really win over Oilers fans. Bunting would give that group a template.
This summer, Podkolzin and Dach have reportedly been trying to model parts of their game after Hyman. Bringing in someone who already lives in that lane would only help.
The production is still there, too. Bunting has scored 23 goals twice, both times with Toronto.
Injuries have slowed him over the last few seasons, but he still contributed last year, putting up 13 goals and 31 points in 61 games with Nashville before being moved to Dallas for a third-round pick. He picked up two points in 13 games with the Stars and also appeared in one playoff game, where he had an assist.
For Edmonton, the comparison that matters is Jack Roslovic. The Oilers never really replaced the player who scored 21 goals and 36 points in 69 games, but Bunting offers a different kind of scoring threat.
Roslovic is more of a rush-chance, skill-touch finisher. Bunting does his damage at the net front, on the forecheck, and in the dirty areas.
That profile plays differently, and for Edmonton, it may play better.
He’s also shown he can fit beside top-end talent. Bunting spent time on Auston Matthews’ wing and had his best seasons there. He draws penalties, agitates opponents, and brings a style that other teams hate to deal with but coaches love to deploy.
There’s another wrinkle here, too. According to Bleed Oil Blue on X, Bunting is training this offseason with Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman.
That’s not a small detail. A line of Bunting-McDavid-Hyman would send Leafs fans into orbit, but it’s not hard to picture the fit.
Bunting’s straight-line, forechecking style matches what Hyman already does so well, and it could open up a cleaner development path for Isaac (Ike) Howard lower in the lineup.
The money also makes sense. Bunting will likely be looking at something similar to Roslovic’s deal from last summer - a one-year contract in the $1.5-2 million AAV range, giving him a chance to reset and chase another payday down the road.
He’s 30, still fast at the 65th percentile in speed, and his game is built for playoff hockey. A PTO wouldn’t be out of the question either.
Edmonton can afford to look at it seriously. The Oilers are carrying $4,725,834 in cap space entering the season, and Bunting would add competition, bite, and lineup flexibility.
He fits the age range. He fits the competitive window.
And he fits the kind of identity Edmonton has leaned into during the 2024 and 2025 runs - relentless forechecking, winning board battles, and making life miserable for the other team.
That’s the case for Bunting in Edmonton. He wouldn’t just be another depth signing. He’d be the kind of addition that changes the tone of a camp, pushes players like Frederic, Podkolzin, Dach, and Howard, and gives the Oilers another winger who can do the Hyman-type work when the game gets heavy.
If he ends up in Oilers camp next month in blue and orange, it would make plenty of sense. And if it works, it could be one of those moves people don’t fully appreciate until the games get tight and the margins get small.
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