The Toronto Maple Leafs placed center David Kampf on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination.
TSN’s Darren Dreger reported this roster transaction a few hours before the Maple Leafs announced it Thursday afternoon.
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If Kampf clears waivers on Friday, his current contract will be terminated, and the UFA will have an opportunity to sign with another team.
Kampf is in the third year of a $9.6-million contract, earning $2.4 million per season.
He started this season playing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies after Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube cut him in training camp.
Even while centers Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz dealt with injuries early in the campaign, Kampf wasn’t called up to the Maple Leafs’ lineup.
With the Marlies, the 30-year-old from Czechia made four appearances and recorded one assist before leaving the team to ponder the future of his hockey career, as he reportedly had no interest remaining in the AHL.
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This season’s stint in the minors was the first of Kampf’s career since he played 33 games with the Rockford IceHogs in 2017-18, ahead of his first NHL campaign.
Regarding Kampf’s leave, he was eventually suspended without pay by the organization. Ultimately, that set the table for the center’s departure from the club.
David Kampf (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)
Kampf played four seasons for the Maple Leafs, featuring in 301 regular-season contests and 26 post-season appearances along the way. He scored 31 goals and 85 points in his tenure with Toronto, including a career-high 11 goals in 2021-22 and 27 points in the following campaign.
Before the Maple Leafs brought on Berube, Kampf was a reliable forward in the three seasons under Sheldon Keefe. According to naturalstattrick.com, he led all forwards in average ice time on the penalty kill during that span.
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He also registered a 51.8 faceoff percentage, winning 1,676 draws. Only John Tavares and Auston Matthews won more faceoffs than him between 2021-22 and 2023-24. In some instances, Keefe would send Kampf to start overtime to win the opening draw and head back to the bench in exchange for another forward.
On a broader scale, Kampf has played eight NHL seasons, split between the Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks. In 536 career NHL games, Kampf scored 48 goals and 143 points.
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