Maple Leafs considering parting ways with veteran forward

The Toronto Maple Leafs may be moving on from veteran forward David Kampf this summer.

Columnist and former NHL player Nick Kypreos recently suggested that Kampf, who has been the Maple Leafs’ fourth-line center and a key penalty-killer, could be shipped out of Toronto.

Kampf, known for his defensive skills, carries a cap hit of $2.4 million per season, making him an expensive option for a fourth-line center.

NHL insider Chris Johnston also says the Maple Leafs could look at moving Kampf, and he might not be the only one. Johnston noted on “The Chris Johnston Show:”

He adds that Toronto made some key changes to its blue line and in goal. Still, he notes, “I think they will have to get creative to address any changes they want to make at forward.”

Not Enough Room to Keep the More Expensive Kampf

Kampf’s role on the team has primarily been defensive, and he has been a fixture on the penalty kill over the past three seasons. Those are valued attributes, but his salary is a problem. Not only that, his faceoff percentage dropped to 50.9 percent this past season, his worst since joining the Leafs.

He is currently in the second year of a four-year contract signed in June 2023. With the Leafs currently over the salary cap by $694,000, according to CapFriendly, freeing up Kampf’s salary could help alleviate their cap issues.