Analyst Singles Out Player Maple Leafs Should Shop Immediately
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Leafs Morning Take host Jay Rosehill was asked who he believes should be traded from the Maple Leafs this summer and named one glaring player who has no place on the team.
There is a huge question about who the Toronto Maple Leafs might deal away this summer from their now suddenly large group of forwards.
The additions of Nic Roy, Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua and Michael Pezzetta means that while a DNA change is in effect; others are going to be let go.
The two main names that have been circulating in trade rumors over the past few weeks are David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok. While both men still could offer something to the team, there is a question about their fit and if Craig Berube actually has any use for them.
While Jarnkrok is the cheaper player to dump, he is older and has less upside than Kampf especially coming off sports hernia surgery. Kampf has a solid resume when it comes to a defensive game, but offers little else and is paid a considerable sum for his efforts.
Why David Kampf Tops the Trade List for Maple Leafs
So with the debate on who to trade, Leafs Morning Take co-host Jay Rosehill believes he has the answer, and it involves letting the overpaid Kampf go:
I was never like, super high on Kampf. He just seemed really quiet which, okay, you could say that's good. He is good in the d-zone and good on face-offs, and this and that and that's fine.
But we're talking about a team who wants to make a run, who is right there and I think I need a little bit more. He's got a pretty hefty contract too; one of those things where I was quite surprised Treliving signed him to with that AAV.
He doesn't really move the needle for me.
But we're talking about a team who wants to make a run, who is right there and I think I need a little bit more. He's got a pretty hefty contract too; one of those things where I was quite surprised Treliving signed him to with that AAV.
He doesn't really move the needle for me.
Kampf's quiet game, while commendable, is not conducive to the type of play that Craig Berube wants to put out every night, and he has less versatility than Jarnkrok overall even if he's younger.
The Potential Return Toronto Could Demand
The question then becomes, what is a $2.4-million fourth liner going to fetch you in a deal? If the team simply wants a cap dump, they should be happy if any team decides to take on that deal for a draft pick or a long-term project.
Kampf can still offer either a contending team a player who can come in for emergency situations, play a specific role, and do it well. Or he can help a younger team rebuild and mentor the players there and better prepare them for an NHL career.
It's hard to see the team getting anything more than a 5th or 6th round pick for Kampf, and it's more about taking whatever they can get as long as his money is off the books.
In 59 games last season, Kampf had 13 points (5 goals, 8 assists) while adding a minus-1 rating, 50 hits and a 51.2% face-off win percentage in 12:24 TOI; the lowest of his career.
He's fallen out of favor in Toronto, and with the team headed in a completely different direction, the team has no choice but to move on.
Brad Treliving should be commended for the work he has done since becoming the Maple Leafs GM, but bringing in Kampf for the price he did may be his biggest regret thus far.
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