The Flyers have lost four straight games to open the season and there is building concern on the lack of results. They didn’t need to make a desperate move, but they needed to show that they understood this wasn’t the standard they set.
That something, or someone, is Michael Bunting. It was a surprise to see the veteran remain unsigned in the early stages of the season. But the Flyers aren’t looking at him to be the missing piece. With the low-cost signing and need to shake things up, there’s little harm in adding another forward into the mix.
Bringing in someone like Bunting gives the Flyers more time to let players like Jett Luchanko and Cole Knuble develop. They needed to make a change somewhere, but possibly rushing their prospects wasn’t the answer. Even though the two were close to making the roster out of camp, allowing them to earn big minutes and play in all situations was ultimately a good decision.
Bunting comes with some risk, which we’ll get into in a minute. But tossing barely over $1 million to someone who has proven results in the past is worth the gamble.
Bunting gives the Flyers a low-risk option with something to prove
Bunting has played for six different teams since entering the league in 2018. And while that may seem like a lot, he’s provided value with each organization he’s played with. Now, he’s not the same player he was when he scored 63 points with Toronto a few years ago. Recent history suggests he can still provide around 30-40 points, though.
He has proven that he can produce alongside elite players, like he did in Toronto. Bunting can also be a complementary player lower in the lineup, something he has shown more recently. The Flyers won’t ask him to be the player he was in Toronto and that’s likely the absolute best-case scenario to imagine regardless.
Back to the risk factor. Bunting is 31 years old. The Flyers are trying to become a team that relies on its youth, so adding another veteran goes against that. There’s a good chance that Alex Bump will be the one coming out of the lineup, and potentially being sent to the AHL. Now, he hasn’t looked particularly good dating back to training camp, but most of the team hasn’t either.
There also needs to be some concern that his production has dipped over the years, most notably since the 2023-24 season. He finished that season between the Hurricanes and Penguins with 55 points. He dropped to 33 points between the Predators and Stars last season, most of it coming with Nashville. It’s still a respectable amount of points and the Flyers would take that and run with it in their bottom six.
However, injuries hurt Bunting during his time with Dallas. And while he may have been working out while waiting for another opportunity, Bunting hasn’t been through a training camp or any game situation. It’s going to take some time to ramp up.
If the Flyers get the Bunting who had 31 points in 61 games with the Predators, then this signing becomes more than just low-risk. But if they get the player who only had two points in 13 games with the Stars, then he just becomes another struggling forward added to a team that is full of them.
There is more that Bunting can offer, though, that would take away some of that risk. Throughout the majority of his career, Bunting has largely driven play in favor of his team, routinely hitting over 50 percent in many of the basic advanced statistics. Defensively, it means that Bunting’s teams have been able to count on him to help send play the other way. And that’s one area the Flyers can use all the help they can get.
Bunting is also a well-known agitator. He can make a living around and in front of the net, getting under opponent’s skin. He is going to battle hard against the boards, which can lead to more offensive time. As recent history has shown, the Flyers aren’t going to overwhelm you with shots. That can be a good thing if they have sustained offensive pressure. Tiring out their opponents can make their limited shots count.
This move shows the players that change needs to happen and the organization isn’t afraid to bring in outside help to make that happen. Bunting’s signing gives the Flyers a low-risk option that they should be taking right now.
It’s not going to drastically change or fix what’s wrong with the Flyers. But it’s one step in the right direction to show that the organization knows it needs to take calculated risks to get better.
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