The Vancouver Canucks are learning a hard lesson that the Toronto Maple Leafs already knew about David Kampf.
Kampf was a serviceable piece for Toronto during the height of the Core Four era. Kampf was part of the replaceable depth pieces that supported the big guns. However, Kampf’s role on the team gradually diminished as his limited scoring vaporized, and his defensive play didn’t warrant a lineup spot.
The situation came to a head this season when Kampf didn’t even make it out of training camp. Now, you can understand Kampf’s non-conformity with the situation. So, it’s reasonable to assume that a fresh start elsewhere would have afforded Kampf an opportunity to show that he’s still a capable NHLer.
Well, the Vancouver Canucks, amid their unfathomable injury woes, gave the Toronto Maple Leafs forward that opportunity. The result, however, has been perfectly predictable. Kampf has played three games since signing with Vancouver.
The result? Three games in which he has yet to score a point, while playing 14 minutes a night. Kampf is officially holding down the second-line spot for the Canucks, but has hardly looked the part.
You would think that a second-line center would chip offensively, even if it was generating plays that don’t always end up on the scoresheet. But that hasn’t been the case. The Canucks’ desperation drove them to sign Kampf. But it seems they have become keenly aware of why the Maple Leafs were swift to terminate his contract.
Defense hasn’t been there for the former Maple Leafs forward
Kampf had always been viewed as a high-end defensive forward. His penalty kill prowess and overall responsibility away from the puck made him a good fit. But that side of his game has seemed to fade as well.
Kampf was a minus-3 in his Canucks’ debut against the Florida Panthers. That game was an 8-4 nightmare that saw the Panthers score three times late in the third period as Vancouver came unraveled.
While the Canucks played a little better against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, Kampf hit the ice for just 13:20. Then, Sunday night’s 5-2 spanking at the hands of the Calgary Flames was another case of the Canucks just not getting the performances they need.
You can’t really blame Vancouver for trying. There are no solid middle-six centers available at the moment. The club was desperate. So, they took a shot on Kampf. He’ll continue getting reps in their top six as their other options down the middle don’t seem poised to take over.
So, here’s hoping David Kampf can really catch on in Vancouver. Sadly, reality seems to dictate otherwise.