The Toronto Maple Leafs have suspended heart David Kampf with out pay for departing their AHL affiliate whereas on project, PuckPedia experiences. As such, the $1.25M cap cost Kampf incurred whereas within the minors is quickly struck from their books till the scenario is resolved.
Might the Maple Leafs terminate David Kampf’s contract?
Not too long ago, there was discuss of a potential mutual contract termination between Kampf and the Leafs. The 30-year-old has not suited up for Toronto this season after clearing waivers and heading to the minors late in coaching camp. He initially accepted the project, however the defensive specialist solely registered one help and a -1 ranking in 4 video games earlier than leaving the workforce late final month. Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported there’s been “pushback” in opposition to a contract termination.
That’s not notably shocking. Doing so would imply Kampf strolling away from the rest of his $1.075M wage for this season, plus the $1.325M signing bonus and $1.075M base wage he’s owed for 2026-27 earlier than he turns into an unrestricted free agent on the finish of the season. He’s solely simply previous the midway level of the four-year, $9.6M extension he signed with Toronto in 2023.
Others have taken the contract-termination method prior to now few years — most notably Brandon Saad, Conor Sheary and Filip Zadina — with a view to take away their albatross contracts as an impediment towards returning to an on a regular basis NHL position. Within the overwhelming majority of instances, it’s labored out, at the least by way of the participant having the ability to discover an on a regular basis position once more. Recouping the cash they give up by doing so doesn’t all the time occur, although.
David Kampf nonetheless has worth
It’s not as if Kampf is totally useless weight. He’s nonetheless a serviceable fourth-line piece who can contribute two-plus minutes a sport shorthanded. He did fall out of an everyday position on a deeper Toronto ahead group final season, although.
His 59 appearances in 2024-25 have been his lowest for the reason that COVID-shortened 2021 season, and he scored 5 targets and 13 assists with a -1 ranking. He’s 51.4% on faceoffs for his profession, and whereas he doesn’t have a historical past of robust possession impacts, he began over 70% of his shifts within the defensive zone at even energy in all of his 4 years as a Maple Leaf thus far.
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