It didn’t take long for former Toronto Maple Leafs castaway David Kampf to get rescued from Robidas Island. The Vancouver Canucks signed the 30-year-old to a one-year, $1.1 million contract on Saturday, PuckPedia showed.
The deal comes as no surprise, considering the excruciating injury situation in Vancouver. The Canucks have lost a ton of forwards to injury this season. So, the signing of Kampf makes sense for the Canucks.
What seems interesting is why Vancouver chose to wait until now to land Kampf. Three reasons explain this situation.
First, no team wanted to touch Kampf’s original contract with the Maple Leafs. The deal still had two years at $2.4 million. That commitment wasn’t something any team really wanted to take on. The Canucks now get Kampf for less than half of his original cap hit.
Second, the Maple Leafs reportedly had a high asking price for Kampf. Elliotte Friedman initially revealed that the club was looking to get as much as possible for the beleaguered forward. Per Friedman, the Leafs didn’t want to settle for a seventh-round pick. So, trading Kampf became nearly impossible.
Lastly, when the Maple Leafs showed their hand by placing Kampf on waivers, it showed the club was serious about terminating his contract. So, any other team interested in acquiring him could just wait for him to become a UFA. Given his contract, there was a slim to none chance of anyone claiming him.
Now, the Canucks have put their money where their mouth is and signed the forward to a one-year deal. At $1.1 million, it makes sense for both sides. Kampf has an opportunity to prove he’s still a viable NHL forward, potentially guaranteeing himself one more multi-year deal at some point down the road.
There’s no sense in harboring ill will, so here’s hoping that David Kampf can find his footing in Vancouver. A solid rest of the season could breathe new life into the former Leaf’s career.