In the end, Bunting's asking price was out of Toronto's range, and thus, the Scarborough native inked a 3-year deal with Carolina instead of remaining a Leaf. In his first season with the Canes, though, Bunting found himself rapidly slipping down the depth chart and, as a result, the Canes are reportedly looking at finding him a new home just a few months into his deal, despite the fact that he's been heating up of late.
It's unclear if Bunting's reputation with the league's referees has anything to do with the Canes' consideration of moving him. Friedman did not name any of the interested parties, but the fact that there were multiple interested parties leads to the idea that it wouldn't be hard for the Canes to move him if they choose to.