Michael Ponting leaves the Toronto Maple Leafs and brings his aggressive nature and offensive prowess to the Carolina Hurricanes. By signing Bunting, the Hurricanes made an important addition to their roster.
The 27-year-old left winger has been a consistent scorer for the Maple Leafs by putting up 23 points in all of his two full seasons in Toronto. In addition to Bunting’s offensive contributions, he also takes with him the reputation of being one of the “best” (or worst) tackles in the NHL.
Those two things should make him a valuable asset to the Hurricanes.
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Bunting was able to find the back of the net regularly
Ponting has been able to find the net in the past two seasons, scoring nearly 50 goals in his two seasons in a Maple Leafs jersey. His impressive play earned him a third-place finish in Calder Trophy voting for the league’s best rookie in 2022.
It is very clear that the Hurricanes were affected. He’s now signed to a three-year contract totaling $13.5 million. That’s a lot more than he could have taken home if he had stayed there (at his home in Toronto). In the end, he had to leave the house to find a place that would acknowledge him and reward his offensive abilities.
That place was Raleigh, North Carolina. For those who don’t know, Raleigh is a vibrant and growing city with a population of approximately 500,000 people. It is close to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the east and the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west. It’s very different from Toronto as a place to live, but it’s a great city with a lot of southern hospitality.
Hurricanes are pleased to sign Darsa
Don Waddell, president and general manager of the Hurricanes, was more than pleased to be able to sign the Stingray pennants. He stressed Bunting’s offensive skills as a major reason for the team’s decision to sign him.
Waddell specifically expressed his satisfaction with signature. He noted, “Whenever you go out, and especially in a situation like this where you’re spending on a player, you want to make sure you get a player who can contribute offensively. He had that extra talent, the way he plays, and that’s something we definitely wanted and (coach) Rudd wanted.” (Brin’damour). So that was a bonus to be able to get that kind of player.”
The darsa also brings an imposing presence
In addition to his offensive scoring, Bunting adds a unique element to the Hurricanes’ lineup. He’s a physical player and has a restless way about it. Even though he’s about 6-foot-tall and weighs about 190 pounds, Bunting has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the league.
This feature has been missing from the list of Hurricanes in recent years, and the addition of Bunting addresses this gap.
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Bunting also pulls in a ton of penalty kicks
Bunting also has the ability to pull penalties. Last season, he finished second in the NHL in penalties with 43 penalties. Over the past two seasons, Ponting has racked up 88 penalty kicks. This skill helps prove his effectiveness in creating scoring chances for his team.
It’s also true that Ponting scores penalties himself, totaling 197 penalty minutes in 187 regular season games. However, his combination of grit and scoring is an asset the Hurricanes couldn’t pass up.
What can Hurricane fans look forward to at Pennants?
Hurricane fans should have fun with Bunting in their lineup. His arrival will certainly bring excitement to the team. Fans should expect to see his tenacious play, attacking contributions and ability to stir up the opposition.
What the Hurricanes also hope is that adding Ponting will also help head coach Rod Brind’Amore help his team make significant strides into the playoffs. Of course, this is the goal of every team.
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