The 2026-27 NHL season is rapidly approaching, as it is now September. With this, NHL clubs are gearing up for training camp and will soon be kicking off their preseasons.
Furthermore, with it now being so late in the offseason, a lot of this year’s top unrestricted free agents have been signed for a long time. Although this is the case, a former Toronto Maple Leafs forward is still surprisingly a free agent with September now here: Michael Bunting.
With Bunting being a gritty forward who chips in offensively, it is surprising that a team has not signed him at this point in the offseason. This is especially so when noting that the former Maple Leafs forward has a solid resume and was among the top left wingers who hit the market on July 1.
Former Maple Leafs’ Michael Bunting May Need to Settle for a PTO
With it now being September, it appears possible that Bunting may need to sign a professional tryout (PTO) agreement with an NHL club. There certainly could be some clubs willing to take a chance on him with a PTO, as he has shown during much of his career that he can provide solid secondary offensive production.
Bunting is coming off a down 2025-26 season, which could be playing a role in him being unsigned at this stage of the summer. In 74 games last season split between the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, he recorded 14 goals, 33 points, and a minus-24 rating. He also ended the year on a sour note after being traded to Dallas, posting just one goal, one assist, and a minus-7 rating in 13 games.
Although Bunting had a tough 2025-26 campaign, his past success should help him at least get a PTO. Keep in mind, from 2021-22 to 2024-25, he scored at least 19 goals. He also posted at least 49 points from 2021-22 to 2023-24, so he has had some recent success.
Looking Back at Bunting’s Time With the Maple Leafs
Bunting signed a two-year, $1.9 million contract with the Maple Leafs during the 2021 NHL offseason after spending the previous season with the Arizona Coyotes. This move ended up paying off in a big way for Toronto, as Bunting had a strong tenure with the Original Six club.
During his first season with the Maple Leafs in 2021-22, Bunting scored 23 goals and set career highs with 40 assists and 63 points in 79 games. He then followed that up by recording 23 goals and 49 points in 82 games for Toronto in 2022-23.
Bunting’s time with the Maple Leafs ended during the 2023 NHL Offseason, as he signed a three-year, $13.5 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes in free agency. In 161 games over his two seasons as a Maple Leaf, he posted 46 goals, 66 assists, 112 points, 170 hits, 183 penalty minutes, and a plus-48 rating.
Former Toronto Maple Leafs 63-Point Forward Shockingly Still A Free Agent