Veteran Toronto Maple Leafs Players in Danger of Losing Their Roster Spot
David Kampf knows his role and plays within his limits. He's unexciting but gets the job done as a fourth-line center.
Or does he? Kampf lost his minutes last year playing on the fourth line, mostly with Ryan Reaves on what was an incredibly expensive fourth line for what it brought to the table.
Former coach Sheldon Keefe liked Kampf's responsibility, especially for defensive zone starts, penalty killing, and face-offs.
That's comforting, but he doesn't score enough to justify a top-nine role and his salary is preposterous for the fourht line.
Kampf offers little offensively. He has only surpassed double-digit goals once in his career. He has scored over twenty-five points just twice in his seven seasons.
New Leafs coach Craig Berube probably prefers more physical play and offensive upside from his bottom six forwards. It's hard to know what a new coach wants, but common sense says that a team that is far from perfect could better spend the extra money they are spending on unnecessary players.
Kampf also earns $2.4 million, way too much for his role. The Maple Leafs have a cheaper alternative that does the same job in Pontus Holmberg.
It would be a shock if the Leafs keep Kampf at that salary. Holmberg or Minten would be a better choice. Finding a trade partner for Kampf is the right move.