The Toronto Maple Leafs have suspended heart David Kampf with out pay for departing their AHL affiliate whereas on task, PuckPedia studies. As such, the $1.25M cap cost Kampf incurred whereas within the minors is quickly struck from their books till the state of affairs is resolved.
May the Maple Leafs terminate David Kampf’s contract?
Not too long ago, there was speak 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 task, however the defensive specialist solely registered one help and a -1 ranking in 4 video games earlier than leaving the group late final month. Thursday, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported there’s been “pushback” towards 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 strategy previously few years — most notably Brandon Saad, Conor Sheary and Filip Zadina — to be able to take away their albatross contracts as an impediment towards returning to an on a regular basis NHL function. Within the overwhelming majority of circumstances, it’s labored out, at the least when it comes to the participant with the ability to discover an on a regular basis function 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 lifeless 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 function on a deeper Toronto ahead group final season, although.
His 59 appearances in 2024-25 had been his lowest because the COVID-shortened 2021 season, and he scored 5 objectives 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 to date.
