It's no secret that Michael Bunting is a complementary player. He surely doesn't drive play for Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, or whomever else he is lined up with.
This is a surprising demotion, considering Kerfoot was on the trade block 48 hours ago, and Bunting has been stapled to Auston Matthews for nearly a year, thus, Sheldon Keefe had to explain himself:
Being in a contract year, hopefully Bunting rebounds. Ultimately, all that matters is that they find the right lineup for the playoffs!