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Insider Believes Maple Leafs Are Trying To ‘Cut Bait’ With $9.6 Million Forward.
The Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking to move on from veteran forward David Kampf, according to NHL insider and former NHL player Nick Kypreos.
The first wave of NHL free agency is over, but with still over two months left of the offseason, there is still plenty of time for teams to trade players or sign the remaining free agents. The Maple Leafs are one of those teams who are still the subject of trade rumors, and Kypreos believes Kampf is someone Toronto is trying to trade.
“The bottom-six forwards need some attention as well. Is David Kämpf still in the plans to lead the Leafs’ checking line? There’s a good chance they cut bait there as well. Can he be replaced by prospect Fraser Minton or is it time to look for an NHL-ready player elsewhere?,” Kypreos wrote in his article in the Toronto Star.
Kampf is entering the second year of the four-year $9.6 million deal he signed on June 28, 2023. He’s set to make $2.4 million in the next three years, and Kypreos thinks Toronto should replace him with a cheaper option.
Toronto is currently over the salary cap by $694k, according to CapFriendly, so the Maple Leafs do need to clear cap space and Kampf could be a trade candidate.
Another Insider Says Kampf Could Be Traded
NHL insider Chris Johnston also says the Maple Leafs would look at moving Kampf, among two other players.
“They would look at moving Kampf, Jarnkrok, or Timothy Liljegren in the right deal. I should be very clear, that is not to say they are trying to get rid of them at all costs, but I think that because of the Leafs’ salary cap, they are pretty tight up against it. Really, at this point of the off-season, they blueline looks different, obviously made the moves in net. But, I think they will have to get creative to address any changes they want to make at forward,” Johnston said on The Chris Johnston Show on July 4.
Toronto hasn’t made any changes to their forward group and saw Tyler Bertuzzi leave in free agency, so the Maple Leafs will likely need to trade someone to make a move.
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