Toronto Maple Leafs Suspend David Kampf

This situation should resolve quickly with Kampf either returning to the Marlies, mutually agreeing to terminate his contract, or being traded. It’s hard to see many teams lining up to pay Kampf the same $2.4 million that the Leafs are unwilling to use. The player doesn’t justify the cost with Kampf. He brings too little to the team for a player making over $2 million. Ultimately, Kampf still believes that he’s capable of being an NHL player, but his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs is clearly over.

Toronto Maple Leafs No Longer Need David Kampf

During the early part of Kampf’s tenure with the Maple Leafs, he established himself as an integral shutdown player for the team. When he was paired with players like Pierre Engvall, Ilya Mikheyev, and Pontus Holmberg, former Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe used them exclusively for shutting down opponents. Kampf was never expected to add much to the scoresheet. When he wasn’t shutting down opponents at five on five, he was a pivotal penalty killer for the Leafs.

When the Maple Leafs opted to go in a different direction from Kyle Dubas to Brad Treliving, and then from Sheldon Keefe to Craig Berube, it was clear that a culture change was coming. Once Berube was in charge behind the Maple Leafs bench, it was clear that the level of trust between coach and player wasn’t there anymore. Kampf became a regular on the Leafs’ bench last season. He would also only appear in one playoff game for the team.

Fast forward to this season, and you’ll find a team that has completely revamped its bottom six. Players like Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua were brought in as better fits to play with Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz. All four play more of the way Berube and Treliving want the Leafs to play. This left no room for a player like Kampf. I don’t think the Treliving will find a trading partner for Kampf, so the best outcome for everyone would be if Kampf and the Maple Leafs agree to terminate his contract. He would become a free agent and could get a fresh start somewhere else.