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Craig Berube called out for botching the David Kampf situation


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Alexander Cole
November 13, 2025  (8:41 PM)
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Oct 28, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube tries to motivate his team during the third period against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena.
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Toronto Maple Leafs analyst Justin Bourne is going after Craig Berube on Thursday, noting just how poorly the head coach handled David Kampf.

David Kampf was put on waivers earlier today, which means he will likely have his contract terminated tomorrow at 2 PM.
This will give the Maple Leafs some much-needed cap space. It will also put the team in a position to finally move on from a player who wasn't reaching his potential with the team.
However, according to one Maple Leafs analyst, the problem was never actually David Kampf. Instead, the culprit was Craig Berube.

Is David Kampf's failure Craig Berube's fault?

In a tweet, Justin Bourne made it clear that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in a good spot as it pertains to the salary cap.
He also said that he believes Kampf will land back on his feet soon enough. He thinks it will also happen fairly quickly.
Guessing Leafs won't ask Kampf to re-pay bonus money, as him terminating deal helps them a bunch with cap space (which is so tight because of injuries that I believe it limited them from recalling Cowan today). He'll sign somewhere, totally guessing: for like 2 years, $1.3 per year? He'll end up not that far off whole and back in the NHL, Leafs shed his contract.
As Bourne went on to say, the Kampf situation is actually Craig Berube's fault. Bourne believes Craig Berube just didn't know what to do with him.
Kampf one of the few guys I feel like Berube totally misunderstood and misused. Useful guy who does all the right little things that they're so badly lacking with current group. Marner and Kampf maybe their most defensively responsible forwards the past few years. Maybe wanna stop taking Jarnkrok out next too, or won't have any defensive conscience left.

Kampf was a solid player under Sheldon Keefe, which gives some legitimacy to Bourne's take here. Although we're sure Berube sees it differently.
Only time will tell whether or not Kampf signs a new deal and starts thriving somewhere else.
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NOVEMBRE 13   |   517 ANSWERS
Craig Berube called out for botching the David Kampf situation

Do you believe Craig Berube misused David Kampf?

YES25148.5 %
NO26651.5 %
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