The Nashville Predators traded for Michael Bunting at the 2025 deadline last March, and it was a move that was not looked at fondly. The main complaint was that it seemed redundant, as he offers mostly grit and dirty work, while the team needed more speed and skill.
The acquisition itself has not been terrible, and his base production was right in line with the player everyone knows him to be. But it is not as if he has done so well that it can be looked at as a truly good move, which we needed to see given the history of Barry Trotz's moves and the state of the Predators team.
Going into the 2025-26 season, it offers a chance to re-evaluate Bunting's fit in the lineup with so many youngsters on the roster. He is unlikely to be anything more than a placeholder for the time being, but fans should be open to him being useful if the Predators can take advantage of his strengths.
Michael Bunting can succeed for Nashville Predators if put in right situation
Bunting is one of those players who is what he is at this point in his career. He had a strong rookie season, but has not kept that level of play in the seasons following, and he just turned 30, so it is highly unlikely that we see much better from him than we already have.
Bunting is certainly not a bad player, he is just a middle six forward who will not take your team over the top, and that is alright. The Predators just need to know that and use him accordingly when making lineup decisions.
Once again, Bunting is not a flashy speed and skill guy who fits best in your top six, he is hard working and tenacious and puts up modest numbers. He fits best in a third line role, as that is the exact lineup spot that rewards gritty play while also giving you the chance to record around 40 points a year.
If Bunting were to play in the top six on a healthy roster, it would be on the second line at best, and that should feature the proven top six guys and the promising young guys. He cannot keep up with the team's faster skaters or make high level plays that those other guys can, and putting him there would be bad from a fit perspective.
One combination that would work would be putting Bunting with Erik Haula and Zachary L'Heureux, as they all play that physical and tenacious style that makes you tougher to play against. It is not so much that Bunting would score many more points in this situation, but it is about finding the best spot for him in the lineup, and that one is it.
Expect more of the same from Bunting in 2025-26
As mentioned, there is likely nothing to see from Bunting that we have not already in the past few years. He will be a mid tier player who will put up mid tier numbers and he will not give you any more than that, but at least he is dependable for what he is.
Honestly, the bigger question for Bunting is does he end the season on the team? His contract has only this year left, he is now 30, and knowing that we should never expect him to be a game changer, is there any reason for him to have a real future on the team?
He is all but certain to be one of the names most heavily discussed at the 2026 trade deadline, and it might could work out really well for the Predators if they play it right. We have seen teams way overpay for rentals who are worse players than Bunting, so they could get a generous haul in return for him from a playoff contender.
If the Trotz and the Predators are smart, that should be their plan, and in terms of complete projection here, I am going to project Bunting to score 40-45 points and indeed trade him, I am just not as confident they get a great return for him.