With Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko needing someone to play with, the Toronto Maple Leafs may have just found the perfect free agent to sign.
To start the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Jack Roslovic on the right wing, with Auston Matthews and Kirill Marchenko on the top line.
While Roslovic is a solid player, the Maple Leafs are going to need a bit more firepower than that to make things worth. As one person pointed out on social media, they also need a gritty player who can dig for pucks and make passes.
Well, former Maple Leafs player Michael Bunting could certainly serve that purpose. He has shown chemistry in a Leafs uniform in the past, and he is currently available as a free agent.
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Bunting has 252 points in 418 NHL games, which includes a total of 109 goals. He is the kind of player who thrives when he is surrounded by good players.
In fact, Bunting had a career high of 63 points when he played for the Toronto Maple Leafs, which just goes to show what he is capable of in the right environment.
Can the Toronto Maple Leafs make it work financially?
On Wednesday, the Toronto Maple Leafs put Max Domi and Dakota Joshua on LTIR, freeing up $7 million in cap space.
When you consider Bunting's situation, it can be assumed that he would be signed at a discount, which gives the Leafs more than enough money to play around with.
John Chayka could make a real splash by signing a guy like Bunting, as it restores some of the vibes that this Leafs team is missing right now.
Of course, it is early in the season, and the team still has a whole lot to figure out, especially about their defense and offensive chemistry.
However, the fact remains that Bunting is a player who could be of real use to this franchise.
Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs should sign Michael Bunting?
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