'It's Hard For Him': Why David Kampf Hasn't Been Able To Get Into Any Maple Leafs Playoff Games Against Senators

Mar 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs center David Kampf (64) controls the puck away from Los Angeles Kings center Trevor Lewis (61) in the second period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was so impressed with the way his team finished the regular season that he kept his lineup mostly intact. Unfortunately, for David Kampf, it's kept the defensive forward on the sidelines and he will miss his fifth consecutive playoff game as a healthy scratch.

"It’s always talked about, like all our extra guys," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube explained on Tuesday. "But I’ve liked our game, so I don’t see a reason to change it right now."

Kampf missed the final seven games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, last playing on Apr. 2 where he logged 8:10 in a 3-2 win against the Florida Panthers. The Leafs, however, have proven to be solid defensively with the omission of what of their better defensive forwards.

"It’s hard for him, for sure," Berube said of Kampf. "The team is playing well and I didn’t want to change the lineup. It’s not a knock against him at all. It’s just how things are looking and going. That’s why I’ve stuck with what I’ve stuck with. He’s an important part of the team for sure, and he has been all year. It’s hard for those guys not to play, I get it. But they’ve been very good team-first guys.

The only change the Leafs have made so far in the playoffs was inserting veteran forward Max Pacioretty for Nick Robertson following Game 2.

Kampf's primary value to the club has been his defensive play in a bottom-six role and time spent on the penalty kill. Given that Toronto's only allowed two power-play goals (one of them coming on a two-man advantage for Ottawa), Kampf's skills certainly aren't a pressing need at the moment. But that could change if Ottawa creeps back into the series.

Before this season, scratch David Kampf would have been seen as detrimental to Toronto's defense. But since Berube has come in, there's been an increased focus on blocking shots and gapping out, eliminating the absolute need for a Kampf to fill. Add Scott Laughton to the mix and Kampf's role diminishes further.

The 30-year-old Kampf had five goals and eight assists in 59 games this season with Toronto. The Czech forward is under contract for two more seasons with an average annual salary cap hit of $2.4 million per season.