David Pagnotta: Maple Leafs May Buy Out Two Key Forwards to Free Up Cap Space
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
With the Maple Leafs expected to make some roster changes post-Mitch Marner, it seems that two others could be on the outs: Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf.
It's probably going to be a drastically different team from 2024-25, but for the Toronto Maple Leafs, it has to be. After a decade of disappointment, the team is going in a different direction, with players and personnel headed out the door.
There are several Maple Leafs who could be out come next season, and while some are pretty obvious (Mitch Marner) some others might be a bit harder to part with; whether for good or bad reasons.
Toronto Could Add Cap With Buyout Of Two Underperforming Forwards
According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period however, two members of the current roster who are potential buyout candidates to freshen up are team are veterans Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf:
The Maple Leafs have $26,859,001 in salary cap space going into the 2025-26 season, as per our friends at PuckPedia.
Toronto may free up even more space if they move, or buy out, David Kampf and/or Calle Jarnkrok, which is under consideration, according to a team source.
Toronto may free up even more space if they move, or buy out, David Kampf and/or Calle Jarnkrok, which is under consideration, according to a team source.
While that's certainly easier said than done, it wouldn't be a huge shocker to see Toronto move on from the two as they try to navigate a new era.
David Kampf And Calle Jarnkrok: Too Expensive To Keep?
To answer the title of that question, yes.
Expanding on that, it would be doing a disservice to both men who dealt with injuries this season, but the results speak for themselves.
Kampf was undoubtedly the better of the two players statistically, though he did play way more games, but didn't really get much of a chance in the playoffs.
Meanwhile, Jarnkrok was invisible in the postseason and had to struggle getting back to form; which he never really did.
They certainly aren't terrible players but they don't really gel with Craig Berube's current system, and for what Toronto is paying them, that's a pretty awful choice to keep them.
If there was a way for Toronto to re-work Kampf's salary into something more palatable, then he could definitely find a role on the fourth line, but Jarnkrok is pretty hopeless.
Combined, both men make $4.5M for the next season, and in the case of Kampf, $2.4M for the next two. Considering that Mason Marchment makes that amount alone with his type of production shows that Toronto is wasting money.
So if Toronto wants to shift focus to a new look for their roster, they're going to need as much money as possible (especially for a potential Connor McDavid signing).
That means dumping off Kampf and Jarnkrok, one way or the other. It's not personal, just business.
| POLL | ||
MAI 23 | 816 ANSWERS David Pagnotta: Maple Leafs May Buy Out Two Key Forwards to Free Up Cap Space Who should Toronto part ways with? | ||
| Calle Jarnkrok | 55 | 6.7 % |
| David Kampf | 69 | 8.5 % |
| Both | 635 | 77.8 % |
| Neither | 57 | 7 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
