The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a number of moves to change the characteristics of the club in the wake of the departure of Mitch Marner, including the acquisitions of Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy. With the addition of Scott Laughton at the deadline to go along with Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and Max Domi, the Leafs appear to be well stocked up the middle and have a number of options.
None of those options appears to include David Kampf. The 30-year-old Czech saw his role decrease under new head Craig Berube, playing just 59 games, posting his lowest point total (13) in his four years with the Leafs, averaging just 12:24 in ice time, which is reflective of being shifted from a third-line checker and primary penalty killer to a fourth liner.
Kampf is entering the third year of a four-year contract with a $2.1 million AAV, one of GM Brad Treliving’s first contracts when he took over as Leafs GM in 2023. The deal has items in it that may make it more difficult to move him, but other factors that may make him more attractive.
The contract has a modified no-trade clause of 10 teams for next season, but that drops off in the final year. The deal also has a signing bonus of $1.325 million each season, presumably payable on July 1 as most bonuses are paid. If that is the case, any team trading for him would be on the hook for just $1.075 million in base salary in 2025-26.
With the increasing salary cap and centers in short supply, finding a home for Kampf should not be difficult. It was thought that perhaps the New Jersey Devils, with former Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, would be a possible landing spot, but the Devils may not need another center after re-signing Cody Glass.
Teams like Pittsburgh, San Jose, and Chicago seem to be operating with dreams of Gavin McKenna and getting over the cap floor. The Penguins are a club that has seven expiring contracts after next season, which might make Kampf more attractive with two years left on his deal.
The least likely option is a buyout, which is still possible after
Nick Robertson’s arbitration hearing occurs and a brief buyout window opens. If the Leafs went this direction, they would only save $716,666 the next two seasons on the cap, so it may be inevitable that Treliving moves Kampf out for a low-to-mid round pick.
