Penguins A to Z: Michael Bunting provides what has been needed

With the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 2023-24 season coming to an end without any postseason action, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 51 individuals signed to an NHL contract – including those whose deals do not begin until next season — with the organization, from fourth-line center Noel Acciari to reserve winger Radim Zohorna.

This series is scheduled to be published every weekday leading into the second day of the NHL Draft on June 29.

(Note: This profile was originally scheduled to be published on Wednesday but was overlooked. TribLive regrets the error.)

Michael Bunting

Position: Left winger

Shoots: Left

Age: 28

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 192 pounds

2023-24 NHL statistics: 81 games, 55 points (19 goals, 36 assists), 15:41 of ice time per game

Contract: In the first year of a three-year contract with a salary cap hit of $4.5 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2026.

(Note: According to Cap Friendly, the first two years of Bunting’s contract contains a modified no-trade clause which allows him to submit a list of 10 teams he would not accept a trade to.)

Acquired: Trade, March 7, 2024

This season: Bunting entered the 2023-24 campaign with fairly weighty expectations considering he was one of the better players available on an admittedly limited unrestricted free agent market during the 2023 offseason.

The Hurricanes brought in Bunting to provide something of a physical edge to a lineup that was mostly constructed on fleeting skating, skill and tenacity.

On paper, it seemed like an ideal addition to make. But in practice (or games) those aspirations largely didn’t materialize in the nearly five months he wore a Hurricanes jersey.

Opening the season on the left wing of the Hurricanes’ top line along with Sebastien Aho at center and Seth Jarvis on the right wing, Bunting made a strong first impression by scoring his team’s first goal of the season on a power-play sequence during a 5-3 home win against the Ottawa Senators on Oct. 11.

Power play goal for Carolina!

Scored by Michael Bunting with 10:58 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Stefan Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

Philadelphia: 2
Carolina: 2#CARvsPHI #LetsGoFlyers #CauseChaos pic.twitter.com/iynyiHpgvV

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) October 31, 2023

But that success was not sustained and less than a month later (Nov. 7), Bunting wound up on the fourth line.

Bunting wound up bouncing up and down the lineup for most of his tenure with the Hurricanes. By the time he was traded, Bunting found a fairly steady role on the second line.

In total, Bunting appeared in 60 games for the Hurricanes and scored 36 points (13 goals, 23 assists) while averaging 15:07 of ice time per contest.

Power play goal for Carolina!

Scored by Michael Bunting with 07:21 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns.

Carolina: 4
Vegas: 1#VGKvsCAR #CauseChaos #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/YZB4X6Oenl

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) December 20, 2023

That represented an adequate level of production but somewhat underwhelming given his history as a consistent 20-goal threat with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After being a healthy scratch on March 7 to avoid injury in the event of a trade, Bunting was traded that same night to the Penguins as part of a multi-asset deal that sent All-Star forward Jake Guentzel to Carolina.

Sharing a history with Penguins president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas during their days with the Maple Leafs and the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League, Bunting saw his first four games with the Penguins come on the top line skating alongside franchise center Sidney Crosby. During that span, Bunting scored a goal off a rebound late in regulation that forced overtime in a 2-1 road loss to the Ottawa Senators on March 12.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Michael Bunting with 00:23 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin.

Ottawa: 1
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsOTT #GoSensGo #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/ToC7Sffsbd

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) March 13, 2024

Eventually, Bunting found steadier deployment on the second line with All-Star center Evgeni Malkin. Their chemistry was a key component to the Penguins making a push in the final weeks of the regular season for a playoff spot.

Perhaps the most notable display of their alchemy came during a 5-4 home win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 6 when the two of them figured in on the scoring of three different goals, including the game-winning score by Bunting late in regulation.

BUNTING ANSWERS WITH HIS THIRD POINT OF THE GAME! ???? pic.twitter.com/j3ork3gKYM

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 6, 2024

Beyond five-on-five play, Bunting also provided a small measure of vigor to a mostly moribund power-play unit while working from the slot. And in addition to his offensive touch, Bunting also showed off his willingness to be an agitator. During a 6-4 home loss to the Boston Bruins on April 13, Bunting regularly mixed it up with Bruins forward Brad Marchand, perhaps the top pest in the NHL, and drew the ire of the Bruins by tripping goaltender Linus Ullmark.

pic.twitter.com/SlSLoetjhK

— Mr. Tenkrat (@PeterTenkrat) April 14, 2024

Finishing the season with points in seven of his final eight games, Bunting posted 19 points (six goals, 13 assists) in 21 contests with the Penguins.

The future: In the immediate sense, Bunting will suit up for Canada in the upcoming International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championship tournament in Canada later this month.

Long-term, it appears the Penguins have found a perfectly adequate top-six left winger who is still on the right side of 30 and is under contract for two more seasons with a manageable salary cap hit.

Bunting isn’t a replacement for a 40-goal scorer like Guentzel, especially since he seemed to find better cohesion with Malkin than Crosby. But he is a steady 20-goal threat who also brings a blunt abrasiveness the team hasn’t enjoyed since Patric Hornqvist.

And for whatever value an agitator brings in the NHL of 2024, the Penguins haven’t had one of those — at least an effective one — since perhaps Matt Cooke.

It’s fair to wonder if Bunting’s mostly satisfactory play for the Penguins upon arrival was generated through the adrenaline of being traded and if he’ll be able to sustain that over the course of a full season, but the base components to be an impactful top-six winger are there.

The Penguins gave up the best player — Guentzel — in their deal with Carolina at the trade deadline. But they got back a player — Bunting — who provides what they have needed for a long time.

Follow the Penguins all season long.