David Kampf may be the most logical forward to be moved by the Toronto Maple Leafs by this NHL Trade Deadline. He has a cap hit that the Maple Leafs could move to allocate the money to other areas, such as defence. When general manager Brad Treliving re-signed Kampf to his four-year extension, it had Leafs Nation scratching their heads. Fast forward to the present, and he now has a chance to fix the mistake and move out of his cap hit of $2.4 million for the next three seasons.
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There are a few options in the bottom six that can easily replace him; however, the most likely option would be Pontus Holmberg. Although he isn’t nearly as good at face-offs as Kampf is, he can fill his void while making $1.6 million less. This should give upper management all the more reason to look at moving him ahead of the deadline on March 8, 2024. So, here are two teams that could be potential fits for Kampf if he is made available.
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres could benefit from a few new veterans in the mix. They are a team that is relatively young and has fallen short of their expectations this season. Unfortunately, that happens, and sometimes the best cure is just to change the mix. Well, the Maple Leafs have a player that could help the Sabres defensively. Yes, they do currently have Zemgus Girgensons, who plays that role, but he is on an expiring contract. Kampf isn’t; he has the remainder of this season and three others at $2.4 million, which could make him an attractive piece. He doesn’t put many points on the board, but his ability to win face-offs and kill penalties can be useful to a team like the Sabres.
In terms of a trade package, I checked in with Jacob Strozyk and Michael Golden, who are Sabres writers at The Hockey Writers, to see what trade would make sense for both teams. Well, if the Maple Leafs are trading Kampf, it most likely would be for a salary cap dump to use that $2.4 million for other areas of need. This means the Sabres shouldn’t need to give up a player but a pick instead since they also have six roster spots available. Together, we felt that either a 2024 third-round pick or a 2025 fourth- and seventh-round pick would be sufficient to get this deal done.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes seem to poke around at just about everyone who becomes available on the open market. Their…
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