Report: Maple Leafs signing David Kampf to 4-year contract

The Toronto Maple Leafs may be in the midst of contract discussions with stars like Auston Matthews and William Nylander, but they found time to extend one of their role players on Wednesday.

Centre David Kämpf will reportedly be back with the team for the next four years on a contract with a $2.4 million annual salary cap hit.

Kämpf is coming off a season that saw him produce 27 points in 82 games while skating 15:18 per night. In 2021-22, the 28-year-old centre tallied 26 points in 82 games and skated 15:16.

In other words, the Maple Leafs know what they are going to get from Kämpf.

The veteran has limited offensive value, but brings durability, defensive acumen, and penalty-killing ability to the team. He's also a strong faceoff man who has won draws at a 52.3% clip over the last four seasons.

Kämpf has served as a key defensive cog for the Maple Leafs since signing with the team prior to 2021-22.

Over the past two seasons, 506 NHL players have played at least 100 games, and Kämpf's offensive-zone start rate (26.2%) is the sixth-lowest in the league. In the same group of players, his penalty-killing workload (420:22) ranks 18th — and second among forwards.

Although Kämpf rarely makes a mark on the scoresheet, he takes extremely tough assignments to help keep opponents off the board, and gives his teammates more offensive opportunities.

Whether that skillset is worth $2.4 million is up for debate, as it's an unusual price tag for a fourth-line player. It's also a bit eyebrow-raising in the context of the Maple Leafs having just $5.98 million in salary cap space following the deal.

This contract indicates that Toronto puts a premium on what Kämpf does — and enables others to do. With the cap projected to rise in the years to come, it's possible the centre's price tag will begin to look more team-friendly in future years.