Orlando Solar Bears sign defenseman Davis Bunz for 2025-26, adding a veteran blueliner with pro experience in the UK and ECHL. Bunz starred for Wheeling in 2023-24 (31 points in 58 games) and produced 15 points in 53 regular-season games plus 2 in three playoff contests with Nottingham Panthers, showing leadership and two-way value that could bolster Orlando’s back end and influence affiliate movement.

His five-year Providence College run built durability and leadership, including humanitarian recognition, underscoring a high-character profile that teams in the Lightning system value. The addition could help Orlando develop defensemen for future AHL/NHL call-ups while contributing to a solid, playoff-ready blue line.

Mikhail Sergachev’s Norris Trophy ceiling centers on offensive surge and zone-entry efficiency. Utah Mammoth’s top-liner logged heavy minutes, ran the power play, and led PK duties, but Norris voters prize all-around offense. To enter the Norris conversation, Sergachev would likely need a 80-to-90-point surge and fewer zone-entry concessions, signaling a true 1D duo capable of driving both ends of the ice.

His path mirrors elite contemporaries: Hedman’s steadiness, Werenski’s breakout, and McDonagh’s leadership. If Sergachev augments offense while tightening transition play, Utah’s rebuild could tilt toward contention as he anchors both leadership and production, reshaping fantasy value and playoff outlook.