David Kampf Injured: Brad Treliving and Craig Berube Give Top Rookie Forward a Call-Up Opportunity
The Leafs have been forced to call up top rookie forward Fraser Minten after David Kampf was placed on injured reserve since he has been dealing with an injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have placed forward David Kampf on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 16 and recalled Fraser Minten from the AHL.
Although some of the details on Kampf are a little murky, the injury has been described as a lower-body one.
The timing could indicate it took place during or shortyl after the thrilling overtime win on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Kampf didn't really appear to be in too much distress during the game and head coach Craig Berube didn't indicate anything after the game in his postgame remarks.
The injury could have worsened in the ensuing days. While the offensive contributions from Kampf this season have been modest, his role on the penalty kill has been huge as the Leafs climbed from 24th in the NHL's rankings last year to eighth so far this season.
Seeing as the Leafs have been forced to place David Kampf on the injured reserve, they have made an urgent call-up from the AHL and one of their top rookie forwards is going to get a shot with the big club.
Fraser Minten is one of the promising young forwards and a 2022 second-round selection who will be brought up to fill the roster void.
Having scored four points in five AHL games to date, including a couple of goals, Minten has been really good early in the AHL, usually skating with Nikita Grebenkin, another Leafs prospect who will one day too get his shot back with the club.
That's a great follow-up to the four games that Minten played in the NHL last year with the Leafs. Smooth adaptation to the pro level, Minten is your natural call-up, and one that Leafs' fans are extremely excited to see on the ice.
With all of Fraser Minten's potential, center depth is still a concern for the Leafs. Auston Matthews has already missed nearly three weeks with what was initially thought to be a minor injury, and Calle Järnkrok will be out for months following surgery related to a sports hernia.
All of those absences, plus this latest setback for Kampf, represent a serious hole in the lineup of the Leafs.
While finding a reliable third-line center has been the top priority for general manager Brad Treliving since the offseason, these recent developments could move that along a lot faster, as the team will likely not want to wait until the trade deadline this season to make some moves.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are definitely muddling through a difficult stretch when it comes to team health.
The call-up of promising prospect Fraser Minten brings some excitement and fresh energy, but this doesn't cure the Leafs' woes.
Fans will be keeping a close eye on general manager Brad Treliving to see whether he augments the roster much more.
There will hopefully be some good news in the coming days regarding the return of captain Auston Matthews, but until then, everyone will continue holding their collective breaths.
