The 2025 NHL offseason will be remembered in The Six for quite some time. After trading away Mitch Marner, the Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking to part ways with two more of Auston Matthews‘ teammates, as reports suggest trades could hit the locker room at any moment.
The Maple Leafs‘ collapse in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs didn’t go unnoticed in Toronto. Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights, officially ending the ‘Core Four’ era in Hogtown. Once thought to be the foundation of a potential dynasty, it never managed to materialize—and now it’s gone extinct without ever hoisting the Cup.
For better or worse, the sun is rising over Toronto—a new chapter begins as the dawn of a new era breaks. Marner is in Nevada now, far from his hometown and Matthews‘ Maple Leafs. However, he subtly took a jab at his former team while being introduced in Sin City. Meanwhile, the locker room at Scotiabank Arena is still adjusting to its new faces and unfamiliar names. It shouldn’t get too comfortable, though—more changes are expected.
Buzz continues to build around the facilities in The Six, with reports now indicating that the Maple Leafs have placed two of Matthews’ teammates on the trade block, making them available to potential suitors across the NHL.
Calle Jarnkrok #19 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against the Winnipeg Jets during the second period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on January 24, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
As reported by David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Maple Leafs are actively shopping veterans David Kampf and Calle Jarnkrok.
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NHL News: Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs reportedly trending in right direction for return of familiar face after Mitch Marner’s exit
Breaking down their contracts
Kampf, a 30-year-old center, has been in-and-out of the lineup lately for the Maple Leafs. He is currently signed to a four-year extension with a total value of $9.6M and an annual cap hit of $2.4M. He will remain under this contract through the 2026-27 season. Although Toronto is looking to trade him away, Kampf’s deal includes a ten-team no trade list, limiting the options for the Maple Leafs.
Järnkrok, on the other hand, is 33 years old and has been a consistent presence in Toronto’s lineup. However, his production has steadily declined since joining the team. He signed a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs worth $8.4 million, carrying an annual cap hit of $2.1 million. That same year, he posted career highs in both goals and points, with 20 tallies and 39 points.
David Kampf #64 of the Toronto Maple Leafs reacts after a goal by Steven Lorentz #18 against the New Jersey Devils in the first period at the Prudential Center on October 10, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey.
Yet he hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers since. This past season, he recorded just 7 points in 17 regular-season appearances, and only one point in 12 playoff games.
Remember me?
In hopes of easing the heartbreak left by Marner’s departure, the Maple Leafs are reportedly looking to bring back another hometown kid. Toronto’s former seventh overall pick in 2009, Nazem Kadri, is now reportedly eyeing a redemption arc in Broadway North. Matthews and the Leafs appear to be awaiting his return with open arms.
“One name to keep an on eye on for Toronto is Nazem Kadri,” Elliotte Friedman stated during an appearance on Sportsnet’s 590 The Fan. “I’m hearing that there are serious desires from both sides for a reunion.”
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Despite mutual interest, acquiring Kadri will be easier said than done for Matthews’ Leafs. The 34-year-old veteran is entering the fourth year of his seven-year, $49 million contract with the Calgary Flames, which carries an annual cap hit of $7 million. At the moment, Toronto has just $4.9 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, so it will need to make room for Kadri’s arrival. Perhaps the potential exits of Kampf and Jarnkrok are entirely for that purpose.
