Sheldon Keefe Explains Michael Bunting's Surprising Demotion

Michael Bunting lost his spot as the first line left-wing with Auston Matthews last night. Now Sheldon Keefe has explained why.

Bunting Gets Demoted

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.

He does however provide a sneaky scoring presence that can get himself into useful positions. He also brings some toughness that this line lacks.


Unfortunately that hasn't been enough to keep him in this first line left-winger spot, as he has been replaced by Alex Kerfoot.

Reason Bunting is demoted

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!