Bunting traded to Stars by Predators for 3rd-round pick

Michael Bunting was traded to the Dallas Stars by the Nashville Predators on Thursday for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

The 30-year-old forward has 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 61 games for the Predators this season.

"Michael is a tremendous addition to our roster," Stars general manager Jim Nill said. "His goal-scoring ability mixed with physicality makes him extremely tough to play against. We are looking forward to seeing him on the ice in Dallas."

Bunting is in the final season of a three-year, $13.5 million contract ($4.5 million average annual value) he signed with the Carolina Hurricanes on July 1, 2023, and can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.

"It's been busy for sure," Bunting said Friday. "I got the call basically when I was heading to the rink to play a game (Thursday). It came as a surprise. It was a surprise. It was a quick turnaround, basically get my stuff, do some laundry, and then fly out this morning at [6 am]."

Selected by the Arizona Coyotes in the fourth round (No. 117) of the 2014 NHL Draft, Bunting has 250 points (108 goals, 142 assists) in 405 regular-season games for the Coyotes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Predators, and five points (two goals, three assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

The Stars (38-14-9), who have won a franchise-best 10 games in a row, are second in the Central Division, six points behind the Colorado Avalanche, whom they host on Friday (8 p.m. ET; Victory+, ALT).​

"You're leaving a team that you had grown really close to. I have a lot of close friends on Nashville, I loved it there," Bunting said. "I really enjoyed my time and made some friendships that are probably going to last a lifetime. When you're not in the playoff hunt and you get traded to a team like this that's really in the hunt, it excites you. Knowing that you're coming to a legit contender and a team that is doing really well, what is it 10 [wins] in a row? That's a pretty special team in here. To be a part of it, to be helping out anyway I can, that's pretty special too."

This is the second trade in two days for Dallas, which acquired defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday for a second-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft and a fourth-round selection in the 2029 NHL Draft.

The Predators (28-26-8) are fifth in Central Division, three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the second wild card into the playoffs from the Western Conference.

On Wednesday, Nashville traded defenseman Nick Blankenburg to the Avalanche for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft. A day earlier, the Predators traded forward Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft, and sent forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for defenseman prospect Christoffer Sedoff and a third-round pick in the 2028 draft.

NHL.com independent correspondent Taylor Baird contributed to this report