Maple Leafs' Center Linked to Flames Amid Reported Trade Interest - Athlon Sports
Just a few weeks ago, before the start of the season, the Calgary Flames were expected to get deeper into their rebuilding process after already moving some key players before the 2024 trade deadline.
The latest reports, however, point exactly toward the opposite direction. According to Frank Seravalli, the Flames are in fact looking for reinforcements, not to get rid of the remaining valuable veterans in their roster.
According to Seravalli, appearing on Amazon Prime Video’s "Coast to Coast" on Thursday, the Flames "don't have any interest in tearing things down."
Seravalli indicated that Calgary's general manager "has been working the phones in recent days to try and find a center to add to the Calgary Flames in their middle-six."
Chris Gerics of Hockey Patrol supported Seravalli's report and speculated if the Toronto Maple Leafs could help the Flames in their chase by providing the perfect trade target and asset.
With Mikael Backlund and Justin Kirkland anchoring the Flames' current lines, Calgary still lacks the depth to push through the Western Conference.
Gerics suggested that David Kampf would be an ideal fit for Calgary's needs.
"David Kampf would be a perfect fit for the Flames given his relative youth, faceoff acumen, defense, and he would slot perfectly between Connor Zary and Blake Coleman, allowing Mikael Backlund to play the fourth line."
Entering Sunday, Daily Faceoff has Kampf slotted as the fourth-line center of the Maple Leafs in its latest depth chart.
In Gerics' eyes, the Leafs could see an opportunity to offload Kampf’s salary while getting a useful return in the form of draft picks or prospects.
"Perhaps a package of Kampf and a lower pick for a low-mid-end prospect or a few draft picks would be a great way to recoup assets while dropping Kampf's contract," Gerics finished.