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Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has shared that the Maple Leafs are hesitant and pushing back on a request from a veteran forward regarding his NHL career.
To begin the season, the Leafs and GM Brad Treliving wanted to give themselves some breathing room. With the play of Easton Cowan and a plethora of bottom-six forwards, someone had to be sent down.Unfortunately, but unsurprisingly, it was David Kampf. The 30-year-old and $1.15M of his $2.4M cap hit were sent to the Toronto Marlies to clear some space.
Kampf Takes Leave of Absence
After skating in four of the Marlies’ first seven games, Kampf chose to take a leave of absence and refused to join the club in Chicago this past weekend.
Late Wednesday evening, following the Leafs’ 5-3 win over the Utah Mammoth, Friedman updated Kampf’s situation in a written edition of ’32 Thoughts’.
According to the long-time insider, Kampf is receiving pushback on his request to terminate his contract to pursue other opportunities.
While Friedman didn’t specify, it is believed that it is the Leafs pushing back as they would prefer to receive some sort of draft capital in exchange for the forward rather than letting him walk.
Kampf’s Downfall Began With Laughton Acquisition
Myself, along with many, questioned Brad Treliving when one of his first moves as GM of the Maple Leafs was to re-sign Kampf to a four-year deal with a fairly high $2.4M cap hit for a fourth-line, defensive forward.
When he acquired Scott Laughton at the trade deadline last season, it proved what many had initially thought — Kampf was being paid too much and not doing enough.
Acquiring Laughton gave Berube a more offensive option in the bottom-six that is just as good, if not better, defensively, leading to Kampf being a healthy scratch for the majority of the Leafs’ post-season run.
Even if the Leafs do get hit with injuries, rookie Easton Cowan is surely going to be the first recall over the veteran, meaning it is likely Marlies or bust for the former Blackhawk.
Previously on Maple Leafs Daily