With Scott Laughton having gone down with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the Toronto Maple Leafs’ 3-1 pre-season loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, David Kampf seemed in line to fill the void on the fourth line. Kampf skated on the fourth line alongside Steven Lorentz and top prospect Easton Cowan. But hours after the practice ended, the veteran forward was placed on waivers.
To understand the shock, it's important to note that before the Laughton injury, Kampf finding himself on waivers wouldn’t have been a surprise. The 30-year-old Czech forward had been an extra throughout training camp. Known for his penalty-killing abilities, having played PK1 for his entire time in Toronto, he didn’t even get an opportunity for PK duties when the Leafs practiced it.
The question, then, is what organizational logic is at play? There are a few key factors to consider:
There have been reports all summer that Toronto was looking to trade Kampf and his $2.4 million cap hit. Despite those reports, Kampf remained a part of the Leafs. Finding a suitor may have been a challenge, given the player’s limited role and a cap hit that is committed through the 2026-27 season. But even still, if Kampf wasn’t in their plans, why place him on waivers now when you seemingly need the center?
The First Possibility: A Trade Could Already Be In The Works
Waiving a player now before Day 1 of the regular season provides minimal advantage because the parameters of what is required when being sent down (days in the minors/games played in the minors, etc.) do not actually apply until Day 1. However, if you place a player on waivers and then trade that player afterwards, it may be attractive to a team that could use that player in the minors and then call them up later.
That’s what happened with the Connor Ingram trade between the Utah Mammoth and the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers essentially acquired a player at minimal cap cost after the goaltender cleared waivers. Utah retained a portion of Ingram’s salary cap hit, essentially allowing the Oilers to get a player for nothing other than the cash obligation to pay him. He doesn’t count against the salary cap (when in the minors).
Roster Flexibility
Waiving Kampf now gives an increased likelihood that the player might be able to squeak through the process and then the Leafs could simply keep Kampf on the roster. But then later send him down if Laughton is able to return sooner than the 10 games or 30 days Kampf would need before needing to go through waivers again.
The likelihood is that the first reason is at play here. It’s clear Kampf wasn’t really in their short term plans and placing him on waivers for any reason is a clear example of that. If he goes unclaimed, there is some more flexibility to move the player.
Kampf had five goals and eight assists in a tenure-low 59 games over four seasons with the Leafs. He was selected to play in just 1 of Toronto’s 13 playoff games in 2025 under head coach Craig Berube.
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