Bunting’s Next Contract

[LeafSteel]

From Morgan Rielly to Sheldon Keefe, Maple Leafs’ to-do list is far from over after NHL trade frenzy — Toronto Star

Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has had an up-and-down 2022-23 season.

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According to Kypreos, Bunting is asking for $5m a season. It doesn’t say anything about term.

I have no doubt Bunting is the most likely of our UFA’s to take a discount, and term vs AAV is a good place to start, but I also have no doubt he could get $5m on the open Market.

If he sticks to his guns and won’t settle for less than $5m/per, do you give it to him or thank him and send him on his way?

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[andora]

Adios amigo

 

[Niagara Bill]

I remember you when!
Now flock off.

 

[ULF_55]

Bobbiy McMann, come on down!

 

[Puckstuff]

4 million x 5 years is my max for Bunting. At 5 I think I would rather give someone else a try.

 

[Metroid]

He can ask for it, dosnt mean he will get it.
Guess the oilers gonna get another one of players.

 

[Leafs87]

No way at 5. He’s like a 3.5 mill player with Matthews and Nylander/Marner. Likely not even that without tbh. His skill set is limited and his biggest asset is something that’s diminishing

 

[ACC1224]

Pass. I find his act is growing a little tiresome, don't care if he's back.

 

[Gary Nylund]

The off-season contract puzzle has too many pieces to look at one contract in isolation. That said, I don't want any part of him at 5 million.

 

[banks]

Good player, but this team can't pay good players top dollar.

Bunting should get somewhere in the 3 million range on this roster. At 4 they need to consider walking away.

 

[Notsince67]

might consider a 1 year at that price. Definitely not getting term @28 years old

 

[TMLAM34]

At 5 million per, I pass. If he played away from Matthews and Marner, you’re looking at a 30 point player.

Ideally a 3.5 million per over 8 years would be a solid contract for both sides. The highest I would go would be 4 million and that’s definitely on the high end.

 

[CabanaBoy5]

If he wants to stay with an elite duo, he's gotta take 2.5 otherwise you let him walk. When he's played on any other line he's looked average at best. He can easily be replaced by someone in that range who offers the same if not more.

 

[egd27]

I thought Knies would be our #1 LW by next October? What do we need a $5M Bunting for?

 

[robertmac43]

Yeah 5M is too rich for my blood. Have a good one Bunting.

 

[ULF_55]

He's a support player.

He gets whatever is left over after the core gets paid.

If another team wants to make him a core player, thanks and good luck.

 

[ShaneFalco]

Pass - he's already falling off after a strong start

 

[Buds17]

Dropped in the lineup partly due to his 5M ask? I'm not seeing that as any kind of rationale.

Per the topic of this thread, I'll have to appreciate that he's been wildly underpaid on this contract
while understanding that the ride likely ends there.

 

[ULF_55]

Dropped in the lineup partly due to his 5M ask? I'm not seeing that as any kind of rationale.

Per the topic of this thread, I'll have to appreciate that he's been wildly underpaid on this contract
and understand that the ride likely ends there.

Just asking, not making a judgement here, but do his antics help or hinder the team?

 

[3blizzard4]

This is his final contract year before UFA?

And he is playing like this??? Not so smart are you Bunting?

 

[justashadowof]

His numbers suggest at least 5 per. Then you look for flaws to explain it down:

Soft? No.
Injury prone? Not really.
Defensive play? Passable.
Declining? Unclear.
Inflated numbers from teammates? A bit but we don't see the same level of inflation when other players have been given the same opportunity.
Personality? Don't know this.

I'd like to keep him but it's near impossible to outbid an open market. Perhaps a slight haircut on the AAV for term? The Kerfoot money is coming off the books. Bunting took his "show me" deal 2 years ago. Bunting's best interests are served by maximizing both AAV and term for his next deal. He'll never get this opportunity again.

 

[Suntouchable13]

You have to find Buntings for cheap. You don’t pay them once they hit UFA. If they didn’t pay Hyman, why would they pay Bunts?

 

[613Leafer]

If he wants to stay with an elite duo, he's gotta take 2.5 otherwise you let him walk. When he's played on any other line he's looked average at best. He can easily be replaced by someone in that range who offers the same if not more.

I wouldn't assume he can be easily replaced. Robertson, Jarnkrok, Kerfoot, etc have been tried in the top 6, and none have been nearly as effective as Bunting. Just because you're playing with 2 of Matthews, Marner, Tavares, and Nylander doesn't at all make it a given that you'll be able to put up ~60 points.

I agree we can't just write a blank cheque here, but we got VERY lucky when we replaced Hyman with Bunting. I wouldn't assume we can easily do it again, especially as we've obviously been trying to fill the second top 6 LW spot for years, without success.

 

[Rielly4]

You have to find Buntings for cheap. You don’t pay them once they hit UFA. If they didn’t pay Hyman, why would they pay Bunts?

Kinda seems like not paying Hyman was a mistake though. Not saying Bunting is Hyman but still.

 

[123offtheglass]

Could see Bunting taking a long term *discount to stay in Toronto, maybe. Playing with elite players will inflate his value to the point where he may just price himself out of Toronto.

Good cheaper UFA targets tend to be players whose opportunity hurt their value, or a contract year slump; in Bunting’s case he was a late bloomer who signed for cheap knowing the opportunity he’d get in Toronto.

It’s gonna come down to how much he wants to be a Leaf; the more involved he gets with the contract extension, the better. 5mil is simply too much.