Photo Credit: NHL.com
the Philadelphia Flyers signed free-agent forward Michael Bunting to a one-year, $1.2 million contract on October 6, 2026.
The 31-year-old winger had gone unsigned through the summer and the start of the 2026-27 season after his previous three-year deal (AAV $4.5 million) expired.
Context
- The Flyers are off to an 0-2-2 start and have scored very few goals (reports cite just 3–5 goals through four games), so the move is aimed at adding secondary scoring and energy/“spark” to the forward group.
- Last season (2025-26), Bunting posted 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games, split between the Nashville Predators (13 goals, 31 points in 61 games) and Dallas Stars (1 goal, 2 points in 13 games), plus an assist in one playoff game.
- Career totals: 109 goals and 252 points in 418 NHL games. He previously played for the Arizona Coyotes (drafted by them), Toronto Maple Leafs (career-high 63 points in 2021-22), Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Predators, and Stars — this is his seventh NHL team.
This is a low-risk depth signing for a struggling Flyers offense under coach Rick Tocchet (who previously coached Bunting in Arizona). The team’s next game is Thursday against the Ottawa Senators, so let’s see if this signing can be the spark the Flyers needed for a jolt.
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