Edmonton Oilers

Bunting Could Be the Free Agent Teams Regret Passing On

Michael Bunting is still waiting for an NHL job. Could teams be overlooking the kind of player they’ll wish they had come playoff time?

by
Old Prof
September 3, 2026

There are still a few NHL free agents sitting out there who make you stop and wonder what everybody is seeing. Michael Bunting is one of them. Bunting isn’t going to solve all your problems. He isn’t going to walk into a lineup and suddenly give a team 30 goals. Nobody is going to confuse him with a perfect two-way player, either.

But that’s not really the point. The guy has shown he can play in the NHL. He can score and can get under the opposition’s skin. He can go to the difficult areas and make life uncomfortable for the other team. Those players usually find work.

So why is Bunting still sitting there? Not only without a contract, but apparently without even a PTO? I can see the Edmonton Oilers needing a Corey Perry-lite like Bunting on their roster.

Maybe Bunting’s Problem Is That His Value Is Hard to Measure

I’ve always found players like Bunting interesting because their value doesn’t necessarily show up neatly in a stat sheet. You can look at his recent numbers and decide they’re not good enough. That’s fair. His 2025-26 season wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, and NHL teams have plenty of younger players they would probably like to give a chance.

But hockey isn’t played on a spreadsheet. Bunting brings something else. He competes, gets into the corners, and annoys people. He creates little battles all over the ice. And when the playoffs arrive, and the game gets tighter, those little things can suddenly become much more important.

That’s what makes his situation curious to me. Maybe teams have decided that younger, cheaper players can deliver roughly the same production. Or are they waiting for training camp to sort out their rosters? Maybe Bunting’s asking price is higher than teams want to pay.

All of those explanations make sense. But there’s another possibility.

Are NHL Teams Undervaluing What Bunting Can Bring?

Maybe NHL teams are so focused on finding the next big offensive star that they’re overlooking the value of a player who can make a fourth line tougher to play against.

Bunting probably isn’t going to be the reason a team wins the Stanley Cup. But when the playoffs get physical and every shift matters, he could be exactly the kind of player a team wishes it had. That’s why I keep coming back to the same question: If Bunting is willing to accept a depth role and the kind of salary that comes with it, why hasn’t anyone given him a chance?

It isn’t simply “Why hasn’t Michael Bunting been signed?” It’s “Are NHL teams going to regret not signing him when they had the chance?” The answer may not come until next spring. And that’s the interesting part.