The Montreal Canadiens have become victims of the injury bug in recent weeks. The most crushing case has been the loss of center Alex Newhook. Newhook went down during the Habs’ 7-0 shellacking at the hands of the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.
Newhook’s injury has an estimated timeline of four months. That means the Canadiens’ third-line center could be back around March. While that’s good enough to support the club for a potential playoff run, the team will have a gaping hole in its lineup until then.
The Canadiens could deploy some internal options in the short run. For instance, Oliver Kapanen could slide into the 3C role for now. But a more permanent solution may be necessary.
That solution could be new UFA center David Kampf. Kampf unceremoniously cleared waivers on Friday. The former Toronto Maple Leafs forward is now a UFA following contract termination. The Leafs sent the 30-year-old forward to the AHL earlier this season. However, Kampf did not report, hence triggering the contract termination motion.
Now that Kampf is a UFA, he is free to sign with whatever team he chooses. And the Canadiens could be one of them. Given the clear need the Habs have for a center, Kampf could be an immediate, cost-effective solution.
It’s doubtful Kampf signs for anything more than $1 million at this point. Even if the Habs signed Kampf for a little more than that, his deal would be prorated as it comes mid-season. With that in mind, there’s little risk involved in bringing in Kampf at this point in the season.
How Kampf Fits into Canadiens’ Lineup
David Kampf is hardly the big fish the Canadiens have been looking for. He’s more of a stopgap solution until the club can address broader needs.
He likely gets into the fourth line with Jake Evans moving up into the 3C. While Evans does not provide a ton of scoring, he has a much more offensive upside than Kampf. The Czech center is a defensive specialist. So, his role on the checking line with Josh Anderson and Joe Veleno could be far more suitable than on the third line with Ivan Demidov.
Kampf could, nevertheless, get a look on the third line. Being a defensively responsible adult could help someone like Demidov gain more confidence to do his thing.
Kampf Would Be a Low-Risk Proposition for Habs
Canadiens fans should not expect much from Kampf at this point in his career. He’ll be a solid defensive center with zero offensive upside. But he could be a low-risk proposition for the Habs. He can slide in virtually on a moment’s notice and help stabilize the team’s bottom six.
Given the way the market is right now, there are few options that could help the Canadiens immediately sort out their injury woes at such a low cost. There’s virtually no downside to bringing Kampf in unless he insists on a multi-year deal.
That won’t be the case at this point. Kampf will likely be content with a one-year deal just to get an opportunity to prove he still belongs in the NHL.
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