Leafs Suspend David Kämpf

 

Photo From Sportsnet

This is one of those stories that just makes you scratch your head if you’re a Leafs fan. All summer long, we heard that Toronto had made David Kämpf available for trade — basically testing the waters to see if anyone wanted to take a chance on the veteran center. Then came training camp. Kämpf got his shot to earn a roster spot, but when the dust settled, he was sent down to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL.

Down with the Marlies, Kämpf suited up for four games and managed just one assist. Nothing major. But here’s where things start to get weird. During the Marlies’ road trip in Wilkes-Barre, word got out that Kämpf hadn’t joined the team — and had actually left the team altogether. The Maple Leafs have since suspended him without pay for walking away.

Now, if you want to take the cynical view, Kämpf might’ve unintentionally done the Leafs a favour. His suspension frees up $1.25 million in cap space, and with Toronto constantly playing the salary cap chess game, any bit of breathing room helps.

Still, I think Kämpf’s decision is absolutely the wrong one. I get it — he wants to be in the NHL, not riding buses in the minors. But if he really wanted to prove he still belongs, the best thing he could’ve done was play hard and make himself impossible to ignore. Show the Leafs he could help their lineup, or catch the eye of another team willing to trade for him. That was the whole idea when Brad Treliving made him available in the first place. Instead, walking away like this just hurts his career and tarnishes his reputation.

We’ll see how this unfolds, but it’s been a long time since a player walked out on the Leafs — not since the early 2000s when Shayne Corson left mid-season.

It’s another strange chapter in Leafs Land, and knowing how this team attracts drama, it probably won’t be the last. Stay tuned — because this story definitely isn’t over.