Nov. 9th: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported yesterday on the network’s “Saturday Headlines” segment that one of the key issues regarding a potential contract termination for Kämpf has been his signing bonus.
Kämpf was paid a $1.325MM signing bonus earlier this year, and Friedman reported that the NHL and NHLPA are currently “involved” in discussions over whether Kämpf would need to return a portion of that signing bonus in the event of a contract termination.
Friedman noted that “the hope” from each side is that Kämpf’s situation would be sorted out by Monday, but the signing bonus issue could be something that prolongs the process. There does not appear to be any concrete rule regarding what to do with a player’s signing bonus in the event of a mutual contract termination. What to do with that money is typically decided between a player and his contracted team on a case-by-case basis, often with the involvement of the NHL and NHLPA, as is the case in this situation.
Nov. 8th: According to TSN’s Darren Dreger, Kämpf and his agent, JP Barry, are exploring all of their options and will decide on Monday. Given that a trade is highly unlikely at this point, Kämpf and the Maple Leafs are likely to agree to a mutual contract termination by the end of the weekend, despite reports indicating otherwise.
Nov. 6th: The Maple Leafs have suspended center David Kämpf without pay for departing their AHL affiliate while on assignment, PuckPedia reports. As such, the $1.25MM cap charge Kämpf incurred while in the minors is temporarily struck from their books until the situation is resolved.
Recently, there was talk of a potential mutual contract termination between Kämpf and the Leafs. The 30-year-old has not suited up for Toronto this season after clearing waivers and heading to the minors late in training camp. He initially accepted the assignment, but the defensive specialist only registered one assist and a -1 rating in four games before leaving the team late last month. Today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported there’s been “pushback” against a contract termination.
That’s not particularly surprising. Doing so would mean Kämpf walking away from the remainder of his $1.075MM salary for this season, plus the $1.325MM signing bonus and $1.075MM base salary he’s owed for 2026-27 before he becomes an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He’s only just past the halfway point of the four-year, $9.6MM extension he signed with Toronto in 2023.
Others have taken the contract termination approach in the past few years, most notably Brandon Saad, Conor Sheary, and Filip Zadina, in order to remove their albatross contract as an obstacle toward returning to an everyday NHL role. In the vast majority of cases, it’s worked out, at least in terms of the player being able to find an everyday role again. Recouping the money they surrender by doing so doesn’t always happen, though.
It’s not as if Kämpf is completely dead weight. He’s still a serviceable fourth-line piece who can contribute two-plus minutes a game shorthanded. He did fall out of a regular role on a deeper Toronto forward group last season, though. His 59 appearances in 2024-25 were his lowest since the COVID-shortened 2021 season, and he scored five goals and 13 assists with a -1 rating. He’s 51.4% on faceoffs for his career, and while he doesn’t have a history of strong possession impacts, he started over 70% of his shifts in the defensive zone at even strength in all of his four years as a Maple Leaf so far.
yeah thats what he gets he totally deserves the suspension too
Fans have to understand that Vets like Kampf that are sent down to the minors either live life as this is an opportunity or a downward spiral to the end of a career. I get the suspension but he still thinks he can play in a better league then the AHL. I don’t blame him.
It IS a downward spiral to the end of his career. He’s a fourth liner in decline and in his thirties now. Father Time is undefeated, and decline’s the inevitable fate of every athlete. Walking away from several million dollars, when he’ll never again have such a lucrative opportunity, is cutting his nose off to spite his face.
You don’t blame him for his actions? Who is to blame? We certainly are not living in an age of accountability.
Why should anybody have any accountability these days? That stuff starts at the very top and we now live in an age where the people who run this country have zero accountability for anything. Could probably take people out and execute them on the White House lawn and nothing would happen.
Accountability is a personal decision. If you chose that option, you would not be blaming others, especially politicians, for your life.
What do the Leaf players really think about this , that opinion might hurt a floundering team
I can’t imagine the dressing room is collectively pulling their hair out and shrieking in anguish over the fate of the likes of David F’n Kampf.
Significant factor is, Kämpf had a very solid chance for Czechia Olympic roster. But he need to play up, not in AHL.
This seems like this case is much bigger than Kampf now. As a Hawks fan I thought he was a nice depth option even if over compensated. I don’t know his personal situation but hope he has good representation. This seems like a niche situation but am guessing it has broader impacts to fringe NHL guys who I’d typically back.