NHL Analyst Names the 'Worst' Contract the Maple Leafs Have Given Out in Years
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn recently posted his thoughts on each NHL teams' contract situation, and for Toronto it seems David Kampf may be their biggest failure.
There's been a lot of talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs and their desire to move some of their lesser contracts and undesirable players in order to clear up cap and roster space.
They added too many bodies to warrant keeping guys like David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok, and while the team has been trying to get rid of them, nothing has materialized as of yet.
But exactly how bad is their deals? Surely, they can find a spot in the lineup and it isn't that expensive...or is it?
The Analyst's Take on Toronto's Costliest Misstep
According to The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, not only is Kampf's contract the worst value on the team; but it's potentially the worst contract they've handed out in years.
Giving the Maple Leafs a ranking of 15th in terms of contract value, he lists Kampf as the worst deal by far; with only a 7.0% positive value. For comparison, the second worst is Dakota Joshua's deal at 24.2%.
Kampf also earns a C- rating and has the worst deal on the entire team, not just forwards. Luszczyszyn writes:
On average, Toronto generally gets a good deal and the Maple Leafs also rarely make bad deals. David Kampf is the current exception to that, but aside from him the team doesn't have many true problem contracts.
Some players are paid more than you'd prefer, yes, but the Leafs have limited disaster.
Some players are paid more than you'd prefer, yes, but the Leafs have limited disaster.
For all things considered, Toronto's contract outlook isn't terrible as they manage to have some great deals like John Tavares and Matthew Knies' extensions, and even Matias Maccelli comes in with a very good outlook.
How One Contract Still Impacts the Maple Leafs' Cap Flexibility
But Kampf sticks out like a sore thumb, and while he's not a bad player whatsoever, he doesn't fit the current makeup of the team, and doesn't offer a lot outside of penalty killing and some defensive help.
Scott Laughton has that role locked up now, and actually fills the grit criteria that Craig Berube wants, and even Jarnkrok offers more flexibility and offensive potential (and last year he was recovering from hernia surgery, he wasn't healthy).
So it shows just how bad Toronto needs to cut ties with him. He doesn't seem to offer much positive value outside of a niche role that other players can step in and fill to the same level or even better potentially.
You're spending $2.4-million for a player who plays 10-12 minutes; hell, Ryan Reaves was a more favourable deal at least he only cost $1.35-million; almost half of Kampf.
Some other players who make less than Kampf are Claude Giroux, Jamie Benn, Reilly Smith, Sam Steel, and Jesper Boqvist. It's quite egregious to say that Kampf deserves a higher payday than these players, and it shows just how bad the deal truly is.
At this point, if the Maple Leafs could trade him for a bag of pucks and some bubblegum they would, because it seems the longer they keep him; the worse it's going to be going forward.
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