Dallas Stars

Michael Bunting Heads to Dallas: Stars Add Grit and Scoring

Michael Bunting is headed to Dallas. The Stars add a gritty winger who scores, agitates defenders, and thrives in tight games.

by
Old Prof
March 5, 2026

Dallas added Michael Bunting from the Predators today. Nashville gets a third-round pick back. Seems like a pretty useful, low-risk addition for the Stars.

Bunting Has Made a Career Out of Playoff Grit

Bunting’s 30 now, and he’s built his whole career around the kind of game that really shows up in the playoffs more than it does in October. He battles, gets under defenders’ skin, and loves mucking about in a crowd. He’s just that kind of player.

Some players get their points from the outside. Not Bunting. His work usually happens closer to the goal crease, where the game becomes less tidy and considerably more demanding. He’s a poor man’s Zach Hyman.

There is also his experience. Bunting has been an NHL pilgrim, playing through several teams since entering the league after being selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2014 draft. He landed well with the Toronto Maple Leafs, then moved to the Carolina Hurricanes. He went to the Pittsburgh Penguins before finding his way to Nashville.

Bunting Has Added Secondary Scoring Wherever He’s Played

Career-wise, he’s passed 400 NHL games, and he’s sitting at about 250 points. It’s not the flashiest stat line — he’s not leading the league or anything — but it’s steady offence. The takeaway is simple: he contributes. He’s in the lineup, and he helps the team.

His best year was still that 2021–22 season in Toronto — 23 goals, 40 assists, playing on a line with some really good offensive players. That got him on the All-Rookie Team and third in Calder voting. But the awards were just icing. What really stood out was how well he worked with skilled guys around him — he was always willing to dig for pucks and battle in the hard areas, and it made everyone better.

Michael Bunting was signed by Kyle Dubas in Toronto, who brought him to Pittsburgh.

In Nashville, Bunting scored 12 goals and added 18 assists in 57 games. Good production for him on a team that probably didn’t help his stat sheet. Dallas knows scoring depth matters when the pace slows and coverage tightens in the postseason. A player who can supply secondary offence while also bringing some agitation often becomes valuable in those circumstances.

Bunting Is Likely a Full Rental Who Will Move on Next Season

Bunting will be a manageable, short-term investment for the Stars. Dallas adds a player whose game is direct and can be abrasive, but is usually effective.

It is not the most glamorous addition a contender can make. Still, it is the sort of move that has a habit of proving useful when the games begin to narrow and every contested puck matters.