David Kampf may be the most logical forward to be moved by the Toronto Maple Leafs by this NHL Trade Deadline. He has a cap hit that the Maple Leafs could move to allocate the money to other areas, such as defence. When general manager Brad Treliving re-signed Kampf to his four-year extension, it had Leafs Nation scratching their heads. Fast forward to the present, and he now has a chance to fix the mistake and move out of his cap hit of $2.4 million for the next three seasons.
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There are a few options in the bottom six that can easily replace him; however, the most likely option would be Pontus Holmberg. Although he isn’t nearly as good at face-offs as Kampf is, he can fill his void while making $1.6 million less. This should give upper management all the more reason to look at moving him ahead of the deadline on March 8, 2024. So, here are two teams that could be potential fits for Kampf if he is made available.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres could benefit from a few new veterans in the mix. They are a team that is relatively young and has fallen short of their expectations this season. Unfortunately, that happens, and sometimes the best cure is just to change the mix. Well, the Maple Leafs have a player that could help the Sabres defensively. Yes, they do currently have Zemgus Girgensons, who plays that role, but he is on an expiring contract. Kampf isn’t; he has the remainder of this season and three others at $2.4 million, which could make him an attractive piece. He doesn’t put many points on the board, but his ability to win face-offs and kill penalties can be useful to a team like the Sabres.
In terms of a trade package, I checked in with Jacob Strozyk and Michael Golden, who are Sabres writers at The Hockey Writers, to see what trade would make sense for both teams. Well, if the Maple Leafs are trading Kampf, it most likely would be for a salary cap dump to use that $2.4 million for other areas of need. This means the Sabres shouldn’t need to give up a player but a pick instead since they also have six roster spots available. Together, we felt that either a 2024 third-round pick or a 2025 fourth- and seventh-round pick would be sufficient to get this deal done.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes seem to poke around at just about everyone who becomes available on the open market. Their management group likes to do their due diligence to see what can make the club better, you have to respect that. The most impressive part is that they don’t solely go for the biggest fish; they look for players that would fit Rod Brind’Amour’s style. Kampf fits that role – a hard-working player who forechecks hard and doesn’t give up – which is exactly what Brind’Amour loves in a player. Another reason the fit is there is because he is signed long-term. The Hurricanes have 10 unrestricted free agents and three restricted free agents on their roster right now. This means they probably won’t want to just acquire rentals but also players with term.
Again, I checked in with Zack Martin, who is a Hurricanes writer at The Hockey Writers, to see what trade would make sense for both teams. He pointed out that money isn’t an issue for the team; they have about $6.8 million in available cap space to use at the deadline. This can make the money work in the deal, but then the question is: what is the return? Well, Martin suggested Tony DeAngelo as a potential fit on the right side for the Maple Leafs. However, due to his previous personal issues and the way Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment runs the organization, I don’t think he would be a good fit.
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I feel like Treliving would rather acquire draft picks than turn around and use those in other deals to sweeten the pot. This could be a chance to collect a second-round pick, which is something the team doesn’t have for the next three seasons.
There is no official word from the Maple Leafs or any credible NHL insider that they are shopping Kampf; however, it could make things a bit easier for them. From a team perspective, it gets them out of a lengthy contract and allows them to use that money elsewhere. For Kampf, he carries a modified no-trade clause that includes a 10-team no-trade list, which means he has some say in where he could end up, which may make it easier to be traded so early into a new extension.
