The Toronto Maple Leafs placed veteran forward David Kämpf on unconditional waivers Thursday for the purpose of terminating his contract. The 30-year-old center, who spent four seasons with the team, will become an unrestricted free agent if unclaimed by Friday afternoon. Kämpf is walking away from approximately $3.7 million in guaranteed salary to pursue NHL opportunities elsewhere.
David Kämpf's tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended abruptly on Thursday when the team placed him on unconditional waivers for contract termination. The move follows Kämpf's departure from the AHL's Toronto Marlies earlier this month, where he recorded one assist in four games after being assigned there at the end of training camp. He received a suspension letter from the Leafs on Nov. 2, setting the stage for this process, which allows him to become an unrestricted free agent if he clears waivers by 2 p.m. ET Friday.
Kämpf, a 30-year-old center from Czechia, joined the Maple Leafs in 2021 after four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks. In 301 regular-season games with Toronto, he tallied 31 goals and 85 points, including a career-high 11 goals in 2021-22. He also appeared in 26 playoff games. Over his eight-year NHL career spanning 536 games, Kämpf has 48 goals and 143 points. Known for his defensive reliability, he won 51.4 percent of 6,310 career faceoffs and led Maple Leafs forwards in average penalty-kill ice time during Sheldon Keefe's tenure from 2021-24, with a 51.8 percent faceoff win rate in 1,676 draws that season span.
Under new coach Craig Berube, Kämpf fell out of favor, dressing for just one of 13 playoff games last spring and starting training camp outside the top-12 forwards. He was passed by players like Sammy Blais and Easton Cowan on the depth chart. Berube commented, “I didn’t see frustration in Kämpf. You know, he came in, and obviously there was competition at camp, and he had to fight for his spot. We have too many players, and we’ve got to make decisions. Him going down to the minors, he doesn’t feel like he wants to be down there, so that’s his decision on what he does. That’s not for me to answer.”
The termination sheds Kämpf's $2.4 million cap hit through 2026-27, providing the Leafs with added flexibility—removing $1.25 million from the current cap and the full amount for next season—amid injuries to centers like Scott Laughton and Auston Matthews. Toronto ranks 32nd in goals allowed per game at 3.82 and 21st on the penalty kill at 77.36 percent. Kämpf, who won gold with Czechia at the 2024 IIHF World Championship, aims to sign elsewhere at a reduced salary to continue his NHL career and bolster his Olympic prospects.