Maple Leafs David Kampf To Terminate Contract and sign with Bruins?(e4)
Thirty-year–old checking center David Kämpf currently has two years remaining on his contract with the Maple Leafs at a $2.4 million cap hit. Yet, he hasn’t been playing for the team for a while now. People around the organization that I’ve spoken with insist his absence has nothing to do with performance or attitude — only the cap situation.
At first glance, $2.4 million seems reasonable, but when I saw Toronto sign Scott Laughton to an extension, it became clear that Kämpf likely wouldn’t be part of the team’s long-term plans.
Our outstanding Leafs writer, Jay, dives deeper into the specifics of Kämpf’s fit in Toronto, so I’ll focus instead on which teams might be interested if he decides to terminate his contract and become an unrestricted free agent — something that’s starting to sound increasingly possible, as Kämpf simply wants to play.
He’s actually a great story: undrafted, he carved out a solid role in Chicago over five seasons and played a major role in one of the greatest moments in Czech hockey history — when the hometown team captured gold at the 2024 World Championship.
It’s worth noting that the Maple Leafs currently rank as the fifth-worst defensive team in the NHL — and yet they haven’t found a place for one of the league’s better defensive specialists?
- Boston (E4): I’m told countryman and friend David Pastrňák has spoken with a few people in Bruins management about Kämpf.
- Minnesota (E3)
- St. Louis (E2)
- San Jose (E1)
Would you take a shot at him?
