Michael Bunting says he has ‘No regrets’ in signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs even though he took a pay cut to do so. The new Maple Leafs left-winger reports that he had multiple contract offers from other teams that were higher than the contract he signed with the Maple Leafs; however, for him, it was worth the pay cut to come home to Toronto and to compete for a Stanley Cup with home team.
Why Did Bunting Say He Signed with the Maple Leafs
When Bunting was asked if he had taken less money to come home to play with the Maple Leafs, he reported that there were other options. Specifically, he suggested that he had “multiple teams reach out to me on free agency day.”
Furthermove, he noted that “Yes, there were offers higher than Toronto’s offer, but the communication I had with Kyle (general manager Dubas) and Sheldon (head coach Keefe) and the opportunity I had to come home and play for my team and compete first Stanley Cup were definitely worth the pay cut in my mind.”
Bunting noted that “I definitely do not regret my decision and I’m looking forward to getting going.”
One reason Bunting gave for his desire to come to Toronto is that the organization spoke with him to say there were “a couple holes right now and the left-wing spot and they communicated to me that those are those are spots that are open.” He noted that he wanted to be able to take advantage of the opportunity.
Bunting also noted that it was his goal is coming in here to “be able to play with the top guys.” He noted that “they’re all exceptional players and I think I would complement their game as well as much as they would complement mine.”
In short, he’s looking forward to getting that shot up there.
In Summary: Six Reasons Bunting Choose the Maple Leafs
Here are the six reasons Bunting said he choose the Maple Leafs over other suitors.
Reason One: He’s coming home to Toronto.
Reason Two: He has a good relationship with general manager Dubas and head coach Keefe.
Reason Three: He thinks the Maple Leafs are a good chance to go for the Stanley Cup.
Reason Four: He was told there are top-six left-winger jobs open and that he had a chance to compete for them.
Reason Five: He wants to play with the Maple Leafs’ big guns.
Reason Six: He’s confident enough to believe he can help.
More must-reads: