If David Kampf’s job becomes less secure after this latest transaction, the Toronto Maple Leafs have a viable option at centre that might make him a free agent.
According to a ‘Editor In Leaf’ opinion post, the Leafs might have a fourth line centre and save money in the bottom six with the recent acquisition of centre Steven Lorentz.
According to the story, Lorentz—who is now bound by a PTO deal—might make Kampf a candidate to be transferred out of Toronto.
The decision makes some sense from a cap viewpoint, even as it makes little sense from a winning perspective. Kampf, 29, owes $2.4 million through 2027. While Lorentz, 28, doesn’t make much of an impact, he does save Toronto money that might be useful in a future trade that would help them win.
Instead of depending solely on their best players to shoulder the offensive load all season long, Toronto could use the money to target some offence in their bottom six. Although neither Kampf nor Lorentz offer defence, the Leafs’ past attempts at this experiment did not prove successful.
Given that Lorentz can play all three positions, it is also possible that he might take Connor Dewar’s position as a flexible 13F.with Lorentz’s ability to play all three forward positions, having done each last season. This may be a surprise benefit for the Leafs away fron Center as they look to solidify their left side with the team with Tyler Bertuzzi gone for Chicago, while internally Nick Robertson has requested a trade and neither Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten are locks to make the team just yet.
Kampf’s transfer would have been flawed since Toronto would have lost maybe its greatest pure defensive forward. Kampf fills the role well; he is a dependable bottom-six player. Few athletes are able to match his diligence and dependability. Although Lorenz has the experience and potential to be a fourth-line player, he has struggled to be a consistent player and doesn’t make much of an impact.
The 28-year-old Lorentz scored three goals and recorded three points in 38 games for the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers in the 2023–24 campaign. He also recorded three points in 16 postseason contests.
Kampf, 29, finished the 2023–24 season with 8 goals and 19 points in 78 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
