The Toronto Maple Leafs will place veteran forward David Kämpf on unconditional waivers Thursday for the purpose of terminating his contract, according to a team source.
Kämpf started this season in the AHL after going unclaimed on the waiver wire at the end of training camp. He had one assist in four games for the Marlies before leaving the team earlier this month to contemplate his future.
The Leafs have attempted to find Kämpf another NHL home, according to league sources, but they couldn’t find anyone willing to take on a contract carrying a $2.4 million cap hit through the 2026-27 season.
The 30-year-old center will become an unrestricted free agent if he goes unclaimed by 2 p.m. ET on Friday.
Kämpf is effectively walking away from about $3.7 million in guaranteed salary by allowing his contract to be terminated now. While it’s not technically a “mutual contract termination,” there is generally an understanding between all parties in a situation like this one. The process involves the player breaching his contract by not showing up for work at a scheduled time before being issued a suspension letter, which Kämpf received from the Leafs on Nov. 2, according to league sources.
The team can then cite that breach as cause to terminate his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Should Kämpf land another NHL job, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able recoup all of that lost income in the next 18 months.
He spent the past four seasons with the Maple Leafs, putting up 31 goals and 85 points in 301 games. Prior to that, he played four seasons for the Chicago Blackhawks. He won a gold medal with Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and is a strong candidate to represent his country at the Winter Olympics in Milan this February.
What does this mean for the Maple Leafs?
By cutting ties with Kämpf, the Leafs are down an experienced depth option who could have filled a bottom-six role with the NHL team in the event of injuries or other absences this season.
However, they’re also gaining added cap flexibility because his contract counted $1.25 million on the books even while he was buried in the minors. That will disappear entirely once Kämpf’s contract is terminated, leaving them with more room under the cap ceiling to make in-season additions while also removing a chunk of dead money that could have impacted roster decisions in the playoffs since a new cap formula is being applied there starting in 2026.
There is also the added bonus of shedding Kämpf’s entire salary and cap hit for 2026-27. They’ll likely be able to replace his spot on the roster with a player earning less than the $2.4 million he was due then.
Even though Kämpf signed a $9.6 million, four-year extension with Toronto in June 2023, it was clear by the end of last season that he had fallen out of favor. His limited offensive ability and lack of physical play prompted head coach Craig Berube to dress Kämpf for just one of 13 playoff games. That came after he missed the final seven regular-season games due to an injury.
He then started training camp in September outside of the team’s top-12 forwards and dropped another spot on the organizational depth chart when the Leafs claimed Sammy Blais off waivers from Montreal on Oct. 6. Blais is a Berube-style player, known for an aggressive forecheck and physical game and playing on a league-minimum contract. He was also passed on the depth chart by rookie forward Easton Cowan.
“I didn’t see frustration in Kämpf,” Berube said after the player left the Marlies. “You know, he came in, and obviously there was competition at camp, and he had to fight for his spot. We have too many players, and we’ve got to make decisions. Him going down to the minors, he doesn’t feel like he wants to be down there, so that’s his decision on what he does. That’s not for me to answer.”
What’s next for Kämpf?
Kämpf does enough things well to credibly be considered an NHL player. He’s a reliable defensive center who stays on the right side of the play. He kills penalties. And he’s won 51.4 percent of the 6,310 faceoffs he’s taken in the league.
The biggest impediment to employment was a contract that looked a bit rich for someone stapled to the fourth line. Or playing in the AHL.
That hurdle will be removed with his deal being terminated.
Once he becomes a free agent, Kämpf can find a new home and sign for a dollar figure more in line with his expected contribution. That strategy worked last year for Brandon Saad when he signed with the Vegas Golden Knights after having a pricier contract terminated by the St. Louis Blues. And it helped get Conor Sheary back to the NHL with the New York Rangers this season at less than half of the cost of the contract he had terminated by the Tampa Bay Lightning over the summer.
While Kämpf could have made more money playing out the string in the AHL, that notion didn’t sit well with him. His resume features 536 NHL games and he believes there’s much more gas left in the tank.
Soon, he’ll get the fresh start needed to prove it.