Predators' Michael Bunting: Finds scoresheet in loss
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Bunting scored a goal and fired five shots on net in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Hockey Club.
Bunting found the back of the net for Nashville's third and final goal of the game in the latter half of the second period. Overall, the 29-year-old winger has 19 goals, 38 points and 149 shots on net in 75 games this season between Pittsburgh and Nashville. While Bunting began his tenure with the Predators by going on a four-game point skid, he's found a rhythm offensively as of late with nine points in his last 13 outings. He's entering the final season of his three-year deal next year and will likely need to maintain some of his recent consistency if the Predators are to bring him back beyond the 2025-26 season.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Deals helper in loss
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Bunting notched an assist and went plus-2 in Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Golden Knights.
Bunting has four points and six shots on net over his last three games. The winger is up to eight points over 16 outings with the Predators, a pace virtually identical to what he did with the Penguins to begin the season. Bunting has a total of 18 goals, 19 assists, 144 shots on net, 70 hits, 68 PIM and a minus-21 rating across 74 appearances in 2024-25 while regularly filling a top-six role with both teams he's played for this year.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Notches assist
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Bunting recorded an assist and two shots on goal in Thursday's 4-3 shootout win over Utah.
Bunting has four points, 13 shots on net and 12 PIM over five contests in April. The 29-year-old has settled into a top-six role with the Predators since he was traded from the Penguins at the deadline. Bunting has a total of 18 goals, 18 assists, 143 shots on net, 69 hits, 68 PIM and a minus-23 rating over 73 appearances between the two teams this season.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: One of each Tuesday
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Bunting banked a goal, an assist and a plus-2 rating in Tuesday's 7-6 overtime win over the Islanders.
This was Bunting's first multi-point performance in a Nashville sweater and his first since Dec. 29, when he was with Pittsburgh. He has notched four goals and two assists across 14 appearances with his new club. The 29-year-old dished a primary helper in the opening frame and netted the game-tying goal with under a minute remaining in the final stanza to help the Preds pull off the comeback win. On the season, Bunting has recorded 18 goals, 17 assists and a minus-24 rating over 72 total appearances.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Three points in last five games
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Bunting scored a goal in an 8-4 loss to the Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Bunting has three points, including two goals, and 12 shots in his last five games. It's a small offensive blip in an otherwise mid season. Bunting could provide short-term help in a deep format, but don't overrate him.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Opens scoring on power play
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Bunting scored a power-play goal in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Hurricanes.
Bunting opened the scoring at 5:14 of the first period as the Predators' second power-play unit cashed in. That's two goals over the last three games for Bunting, who looks to be adjusting nicely to a top-six role in Nashville. The winger is up to 16 goals, 31 points, 123 shots on net, 67 hits, 56 PIM and a minus-24 rating over 65 appearances. There's some risk to his production, especially given the Predators' struggles this year, but he offers a bit of upside in points, hits and PIM for the rest of the season.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Activated from injured reserve
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Bunting (abdomen) was activated from injured reserve Friday, indicating he'll return to the lineup versus the Ducks, Nick Kieser of 102.5 ESPN Nashville reports.
The Predators now have 12 healthy forwards on the roster, assuming Bunting is able to make his team debut Friday. The 29-year-old figures to play in a middle-six role, though it's possible he is eased back into action following an appendectomy. Prior to getting traded to Nashville, he produced 29 points in 58 appearances with the Penguins.
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Predators' Michael Bunting: Heading to Nashville
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Bunting (abdomen) and a 2026 fourth-round pick were traded to the Predators from the Penguins on Wednesday in exchange for Thomas Novak and Luke Schenn, Pierre LeBrun of TSN reports.
Bunting is out indefinitely while recovering from an appendectomy he underwent Feb. 27. The 29-year-old will probably be able to return prior to the end of the regular season, but that's not the focus for the Predators, who get a top-six winger under contract for 2025-26. Bunting has a little grit in his game and can be a power-play force, but the Predators will need to bounce back as a team to avoid tanking his fantasy value. With the Penguins this season, Bunting put up 29 points (15 on the power play) in 58 appearances.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Placed on injured reserve
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Bunting was put on injured reserve Thursday after undergoing appendix surgery.
Bunting was already regarded as being out indefinitely due to the surgery, so his placement on IR doesn't come as a surprise. He has 14 goals and 29 points in 58 appearances in 2024-25. Emil Bemstrom was recalled from the minors in a corresponding move and is a possibility to serve in a bottom-six capacity during Bunting's absence, though Bokondji Imama will compete with Bemstrom for that spot.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Undergoes appendectomy
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Bunting recently underwent surgery to remove his appendix and will be sidelined indefinitely, Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Thursday.
Bunting is currently mired in a 10-game goal drought during which he registered 20 shots, two assists and eight hits. With Bunting on the shelf, the Penguins may not have to send Matt Nieto to the minors after placing him on waivers Wednesday. Pittsburgh's season is all but over, so there will be no rush to get Bunting back into the lineup.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Battling illness
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Bunting (illness) missed Wednesday's practice, according to Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Bunting has 14 goals and 29 points in 58 appearances in 2024-25. If he's not able to play Thursday versus Philadelphia, then Matt Nieto will probably draw back into the lineup.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Posts power-play assist
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Bunting logged a power-play assist, three shots on goal and two PIM in Friday's 3-2 win over the Rangers.
Bunting's last five points -- in a span of 14 games -- have all come on the power play. He snapped a five-game point drought Friday with his helper. For the season, the 29-year-old winger is at 28 points (15 on the power play), 100 shots on net, 57 hits, 48 PIM and a minus-16 rating through 54 contests. His even-strength play is likely to remain mediocre until his usual center, Evgeni Malkin (lower body), gets back in the lineup.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Available to play
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Bunting (undisclosed) will return to the lineup against Seattle on Tuesday, Penguins play-by-play announcer Josh Getzoff reports.
Bunting sat out Sunday's 5-2 loss to Tampa Bay after being involved in a car accident outside PPG Paints Arena. He has registered 13 goals, 25 points, 84 shots on net, 48 hits and 42 PIM through 43 appearances this season. With Bunting back and Evgeni Malkin (upper body) considered a game-time decision, Jesse Puljujarvi and Matt Nieto could be healthy scratches versus the Kraken.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Tallies in overtime loss
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Bunting scored a goal in Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.
Bunting has five goals and two assists over his last six games. Four of those seven points have come on the power play, but his goal Sunday was at even strength to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead at 5:08 of the first period. The winger is up to 12 goals, 23 points, 78 shots on net, 45 hits, 32 PIM and a minus-11 rating through 40 appearances. He'll continue to have decent fantasy value both for his offense and his agitation skills as long as he plays in a top-six role.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Game finally heating up
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Bunting scored twice Monday in a 7-3 win over the Flyers.
Bunting's first pushed the Penguins up 3-1 in the first period when he tapped in a pass from Evgeni Malkin on the power play. His second pushed the Pens up 5-3 at the end of the second frame. Bunting's start to the season was coated with ice, but he's warmed up with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in his last 11 games, and five of those points have come on the man advantage. Bunting seems to be getting his feet under him, and that's great news for patient managers.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Heating up
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Bunting put up two assists in a 3-2 overtime win over the Kings on Tuesday.
It was his 300th NHL game. Bunting has just 16 points in 32 games in 2024-25, but nine (three goals, six assists) of those and 25 shots have come in his last eight games -- and four of the points in that span were recorded on the power play. Bunting can help right now, and who knows -- he could even keep this going for a bit. Remember, he put up 54 points last season between the Canes and Pens, and that included 19 points in 21 games once he arrived in Pennsylvania.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Tallies on power play
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Bunting scored a power-play goal on three shots in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs.
Bunting has five points, including three on the power play, over his last four contests. The 29-year-old remains in a third-line role at even strength for now, but he could play his way into the top six if he keeps this up. He's contributed six goals, 12 points (five on the power play), 53 shots on net, 37 hits, 18 PIM and a minus-6 rating through 28 appearances so far, but his streaky scoring can be tough to trust in fantasy.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Three-point effort in win
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Bunting scored a power-play goal and added two assists, one with the man advantage, in Saturday's 6-2 win over the Flames.
It was the first multi-point performance of the season for Bunting. The 29-year-old winger had a brutal start to the campaign, but he's turned things around in November. Bunting has five goals and nine points over the last 13 games, and all four of his power-play points (three goals, one assist) have come in the last eight contests.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Prevents shutout Friday
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Bunting scored a power-play goal on two shots and added five hits in Friday's 4-1 loss to the Jets.
Bunting broke up Connor Hellebuyck's shutout bid at 5:49 of the third period. Typically, Bunting is on the second power-play unit, but he got the look on the first unit because Sidney Crosby was stuck in the penalty box waiting for a stoppage after serving his fighting major. After a terrible October, Bunting has turned things around partially with four goals and two assists over his last nine outings. He's at seven points (two on the power play), 40 shots on net, 30 hits, 14 PIM and a minus-8 rating over 21 appearances this season.
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Penguins' Michael Bunting: Records assist in win
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Bunting had an assist, two shots on goal and one hit in Monday's 6-3 win over Montreal.
Bunting teamed up with Evgeni Malkin to set up Rickard Rakell, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead in the first period. It was the first point of the season for Bunting, who recorded 19 points over 21 games after being traded from Carolina to Pittsburgh in 2023-24. His spot on the second line with Malkin and Rakell could be a productive gig.
