Is Bunting Back In

Forums/Armchair-GM

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Created by: Gabagool44

Team: 2022-23 Toronto Maple Leafs

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 25, 2023

Published: Apr. 25, 2023

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Description

I leave Bunting out for Game 5. Even though the Leafs have not played well at times they have been able to rattle off 3 straight wins and battle some adversity to be up 3-1 in this series. I think on paper yes, Bunting should be in the lineup as he can bring a variety of tools to the lineup. But I also think that this game 5 is critical and I feel like if the Leafs lose they will lose this series. If Bunting does find his way back in the lineup I think the odd man out here is Matthew Knies. There have been some moments for him where he has looked out of place but I also think at times he has shown why there is such an upside on him; physicality, no fear, relentless on the puck. He is playing playoff hockey right now and with more and more experience this kid is going to be a gamer and a staple in this lineup for years to come.

So, in my opinion I think Bunting sits out Game 5. Make him sweat a little and see that this team has fared well without him the last 3 games. Gives him some more time to get that hunger back.

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2023
2024
2025

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

EMBED

TEXT-EMBED

ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
27	$82,500,000	$84,912,913	$212,500	$0	-$2,412,913

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Kerfoot, Alexander $3,500,000$3,500,000 LW, C, RW M-NTC UFA - 1	Tavares, John $11,000,000$11,000,000 C, LW NMC UFA - 3	Marner, Mitchell $10,903,000$10,903,000 RW UFA - 3
Järnkrok, Calle $2,100,000$2,100,000 RW, C, LW M-NTC UFA - 4	Matthews, Auston $11,640,250$11,640,250 C UFA - 2	Nylander, William $6,962,366$6,962,366 RW UFA - 2
Knies, Matthew $925,000$925,000 LW, RW RFA - 3	O'Reilly, Ryan $1,875,000$1,875,000 C UFA - 1	Acciari, Noel $1,250,000$1,250,000 C, RW UFA - 1
Aston-Reese, Zach $840,630$840,630 LW, RW UFA - 1	Kämpf, David $1,500,000$1,500,000 C UFA - 1	Lafferty, Sam $1,150,000$1,150,000 RW, C, LW UFA - 2

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Rielly, Morgan $7,500,000$7,500,000 LD NMC UFA - 8	Schenn, Luke $850,000$850,000 RD UFA - 1	Samsonov, Ilya $1,800,000$1,800,000 G UFA - 1
McCabe, Jake $2,000,000$2,000,000 LD/RD M-NTC UFA - 3	Brodie, TJ $5,000,000$5,000,000 LD/RD NTC UFA - 2	Woll, Joseph $766,667$766,667 G RFA - 3
Giordano, Mark $800,000$800,000 LD UFA - 2	Holl, Justin $2,000,000$2,000,000 RD M-NTC UFA - 1

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
Bunting, Michael $950,000$950,000 LW UFA - 1		Muzzin, Jake $5,625,000$5,625,000 LD NTC UFA - 2
Simmonds, Wayne $900,000$900,000 RW, LW M-NTC UFA - 1		Robertson, Nicholas $796,667$796,667 LW, RW RFA - 2
Gustafsson, Erik $800,000$800,000 LD UFA - 1		McMann, Bobby $762,500$762,500 RW, LW UFA - 2
Liljegren, Timothy $1,400,000$1,400,000 RD RFA - 2		Mete, Victor $750,000$750,000 LD/RD UFA - 1
Timmins, Conor $850,000$850,000 RD RFA - 1
Murray, Matt $4,687,500$4,687,500 G M-NTC UFA - 2
Källgren, Erik $750,000$750,000 G UFA - 1

Apr. 25, 2023 at 9:41 a.m.

Pensman69

spoiled penguins fan

Joined: May 2022

Posts: 2,695

Likes: 1,487

Yea I’m not so sure if I was Keefe that I’d be so quick to throw him back in the lineup. The team has played considerably well without him and with him back in the lineup that may draw focus off of the Leafs as a team component.

Stay out of those high animosity scrums, don’t let it get to a headhunting bounty in a pivotal game 5…. Yea I’d let Bunting sit this one out and if they drop this one you put him back in there.

Gabagool44 liked this.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 10:17 a.m.

Garak

Joined: Jun. 2019

Posts: 10,902

Likes: 10,701

Quoting: Pensman69

Really? Interesting take. I feel like Bunting brings elements that TOR is missing, and ones that teams need in order to win in the playoffs. If i'm Keefe, I get him back in there ASAP. But I don't know who they move down and/or sit in favor of him. I'd say Knies, but he seems to be fitting in VERY nicely. Maybe Kerfoot or ZAR. They could dress 13 forwards, and then ease him back into the top line.

EDIT: I'd also add that putting him back in would depend on how he is in practice. But if he is ready, he is ready.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 10:36 a.m.

leafs101

Joined: May 2019

Posts: 11,202

Likes: 5,207

Utterly zero chance of Knies coming out of the lineup. Look how he's being deployed and how well he's played.

Pensman69, Garak and Gabagool44 liked this.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 11:02 a.m.

Pensman69

spoiled penguins fan

Joined: May 2022

Posts: 2,695

Likes: 1,487

Quoting: Garak

Yea it works both ways but in the event they put him back in, I’d say ZAR is odd man out. Knies has been outstanding and is playing with the intensity and toughness that the Leads need in order to win this series.

Garak liked this.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 11:23 a.m.

C_LGRW71

Wingsfan92

Joined: Oct. 2021

Posts: 882

Likes: 164

if i was keefe id keep him out... if you win you roll without him, if you lose you throw him back in

Gabagool44 liked this.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 11:27 a.m.

leafs101

Joined: May 2019

Posts: 11,202

Likes: 5,207

Quoting: Pensman69

If he's back it's Lafferty, ZAR has been good in the playoffs and down the stretch. Keefe just confirmed that if Bunting comes back in it won't be Knies as well.

Gabagool44 and Pensman69 liked this.

Apr. 25, 2023 at 2:59 p.m.

Gabagool44

Thread Starter

Gabagool44

Joined: Jun. 2022

Posts: 329

Likes: 32

Quoting: leafs101

If he's back it's Lafferty, ZAR has been good in the playoffs and down the stretch. Keefe just confirmed that if Bunting comes back in it won't be Knies as well.

I think Lafferty has done well.. he has the up and down speed over ZAR which I like. I think ZAR is the odd man out here if Bunting is back in on Thursday.

Pensman69 liked this.

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Is Bunting Back In

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