Bunting turns up heat on Wings in Calder race
Michael Bunting entered the NHL season under the radar. He wasn’t expected to skate on the Maple Leafs’ top line, or score 16 goals by this point. And he certainly wasn’t projected to contend for the Calder Trophy.
Heading into the Leafs’ 48th game of the season, Saturday night against the St. Louis Blues at Scotiabank Arena, the rookie forward has changed that narrative and made himself indispensable.
By fitting in on the top unit with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, Bunting — signed as a free agent for $1.9 million (U.S.) over two years — has helped the Leafs move on from the departure of winger Zach Hyman to Edmonton, and overcome the shortcomings of free-agent addition Nick Ritchie, the original choice for that Matthews-Marner line.
With more than half a season in the books, the 26-year-old Bunting has played his way into the top rookie discussion. Here’s a closer look at the contenders:
Moritz Seider Red Wings
The 20-year-old from Zell, Germany is already Detroit’s best defenceman and considered the front-runner for the Calder. The 2019 firstround
draft pick (sixth overall) scored in overtime twice in December, just the fifth rookie blueliner in NHL history to do that in a single season. He had 35 points after 51 games, and also led all rookies in average ice time at 22:51 per game. His confidence with the puck is something to watch — in one game against the Flyers, he almost killed off an entire Philadelphia power play by himself. The comparisons to Hall of Fame defenceman Nicklas Lidstrom at a similar age are legitimate.
Lucas Raymond Red Wings
The 19-year-old forward from Gothenburg, Sweden was the favourite until mid-January, when teammate Seider pulled ahead. Like Bunting, Raymond didn’t start the season ticketed for prime ice time up front but is now part of the top unit with Tyler Bertuzzi and Dylan Larkin. Entering Friday, Raymond — drafted fourth overall in 2020 — led all rookie scorers with 39 points.
Michael Bunting Maple Leafs
The 26-year-old forward from Scarborough broke out with a hat trick against Seider, Raymond and the Red Wings on Jan. 29 and now has seven goals in his last eight games heading into the weekend. He leads all rookies in goals with 16. Drafted 117th by Arizona in 2014, Bunting remains Calder eligible after playing no more than 21 games in two previous NHL stints with the Coyotes. Asked about the fact Bunting is still considered a rookie, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said: “He’s so involved in our team, I don’t think of it that way. But when questions like that come up, or you see (the Calder race) mentioned, you step back and say: I don’t know if he’s played against every team in the league yet … He has a lot of swagger about him, a chip on his shoulder, and that’s not going away. Rookie or not, it will be part of who he is. We really found a nice player. He just fits in really well with Auston and with Marner. He just completes that line.”
Trevor Zegras Ducks
The 20-year-old forward from Bedford, N.Y., drafted ninth by Anaheim in 2019, has the best hands of any player in this race. Last month’s lacrosse-style goal — “The Michigan” — against the Canadiens remains a hit online. Zegras also earned style points during the allstar game skills competition, where he paid homage to the movie “Dodgeball” and scored blindfolded. Zegras is tied for second in points among Calder eligibles with 35.
Anton Lundell Panthers
The 20-year-old centre from Espoo, Finland had been quiet after Christmas offensively until a fiveassist game in Columbus on Jan. 31 in Columbus. He had 32 points after 44 games, and his plus-26 was among the NHL’s best. The penalty-killing specialist, drafted 12th in 2020, averages 2:44 in short-handed ice time.