One of the top dogs in the Western Conference is getting a little tougher.
According to multiple reports, the Dallas Stars acquired forward Michael Bunting from the Nashville Predators. In exchange, the Predators are receiving a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The draft pick originally belonged to the Seattle Kraken, but came into Dallas’ possession when they sent Mason Marchment to Seattle this June, in exchange for their 2025 fourth-round pick. Dallas no longer has a third-round pick in this year’s draft, while the Predators now have two, giving the team 12 total picks this summer.
Bunting is a player who can fit a variety of roles for Dallas, a team that has flamed out in the Western Conference Final in each of the past three years. The 30-year-old certainly doesn’t shy away from the rougher side of the game, but has shown the ability to put the puck in the net, regardless of where he is in the lineup.
This season, has scored 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 61 games. It’s a little off from the 20-goal pace he was at during his two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs a half-decade ago. Yet his skill set can make him a viable addition to the Stars’ bottom six.
Bunting is in the final season of his three-year contract that he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes in July 2023. The deal has a cap hit of $4.5 million. According to PuckPedia, the Stars have a little under $2 million in cap space as a result of the trade.
In 405 regular-season games in the NHL, Bunting has scored 108 goals and 142 assists for 250 points, with five points in 13 playoff games with the Leafs.
The Stars (38-14-9) are second in the Central Division, six points back of the first-place Colorado Avalanche. The Predators (27-26-8) are fifth in the division, five points back of Seattle for the last Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.
