David Kämpf
David Kämpf has been a trade speculation favorite of Maple Leafs fans since he signed his 4-year, $9.6m contract in 2023. Kampf's skills have never been in doubt. He is a hard-forechecking, physically imposing, defensive centerman who knows how to impose his will on his opponents. However, handing out that kind of AAV ($2.5M) and especially a four-year deal for a player who hasn't reached the 30-point plateau in his entire career was eyebrow-raising even then.
With three years remaining on his term, it would be difficult for the Jackets to want to take his contract on. The Jackets already have a player just like David: Sean Kuraly, who arguably provides more value to his team than Kampf at the same AAV while only having one year left on his deal. He would satisfy the cap floor requirement, but I doubt he'd like to ride the pine in Columbus for several years or only be counted on as a depth forward for a still-rebuilding franchise.
However, if the Jackets were looking to be the recipients of a pure salary dump trade and wouldn't mind keeping David on the roster or waiving him when the time is right, they should be able to get some good value out of acquiring him to aid Toronto in their cap situation. Toronto's second-round pick in 2025 would likely be a decent starter for a club that no longer owns their 2025 second-rounder themselves.
Finally, let's take a look at a possibility of a right-shot Defenseman in the event David Jiricek is not ready for the next step this season.