The Toronto Maple Leafs are off to a 5-5-1 start, good for a share of last place in the Atlantic Division. While that situation may seem alarming, it’s worth noting that the Leafs have an identical record to the Florida Panthers.
As such, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving is purportedly looking to do anything and everything he can to improve the club. One such move is getting a major contract off the books.
Specifically, that contract belongs to David Kampf. That’s hardly major news. Kampf’s name has been part of the Leafs’ rumor mill for quite some time. But the biggest issue here is that Kampf’s contract is getting in the way of something bigger.
According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Maple Leafs want to move Kampf’s contract. But it isn’t about what the team could get in return for the veteran forward. It’s more about just dumping it.
Dreger stated:
“The veteran David Kampf, who’s in the American League, is more about just getting off the money.”
As Dreger told Gino Reda on the October 30 edition of Insider Trading, moving Kampf is a cap dump situation. While it would be nice to get something back for Kampf, it seems more about just moving on from his contract than anything else.
Injuries have begun to pile up around the league. So, the unfortunate situations for some teams may be enough to grease the wheels and get a deal done for the Maple Leafs.
Maple Leafs Currently on Hook for Kampf’s Cap Hit
David Kampf’s contract is currently on the Maple Leafs’ books. Despite Kampf being in the AHL, the contract counts for $1.25 million against the cap. As such, that’s essentially dead cap space the Leafs have sitting there.
Since it doesn’t appear that the Leafs are going to be calling up Kampf any time soon, there’s a growing sense of urgency to move Kampf. It’s also worth noting that Kampf still has this season and next on his deal. That makes matters even worse for Toronto.
The Maple Leafs’ cap situation isn’t desperate at this time. But one has to think there might be other deals potentially sitting out there. With Kampf’s hit on the books, the math may just not work. That’s why getting the deal off the books is a top priority.
However, finding a taker for it may not be nearly as easy as one might assume.
Injuries Could Facilitate a Kampf Trade
Moving David Kampf could boil down to the Maple Leafs taking advantage of a team’s desperate injury situation. For instance, the Maple Leafs could prey on a team like the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have nine players dealing with injuries. Six of those players are forwards. So, a desperate Canucks team may be willing to take Kampf off the Maple Leafs’ hands, even if it’s just for a seventh-round pick.
While the Maple Leafs might want a prospect or lower-round pick in return, just “getting off the money” would suffice.
Ultimately, there may be news regarding Kampf coming down the pipeline sooner rather than later. Nothing is imminent at the moment, however.
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