All stats courtesy of hockeyreference.com.
My next player profile is on defenseman Steven Kampfer! Kampfer appeared in 35 games for the Bruins last season, in which he produced three goals and three assists. He then played in three playoff games for the team on their run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, through which he tallied one goal and zero assists. Drafted in the fourth round (93rd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the Anaheim Ducks, Kampfer has appeared in 201 career NHL games, over which he has recorded 13 goals and 19 assists. The 30-year-old defenseman has played for four different organizations over his seven season NHL and over nine season professional career after turning pro at the end of his senior season at the University of Michigan.
Kampfer came over to the Bruins during training camp from the New York Rangers as part of the return for Adam McQuaid. He was seen as a significantly cheaper seventh defenseman for the Bruins than McQuaid would’ve been, and that’s exactly what he was. But, when he did see ice time, Kampfer played surprisingly well considering there were often long stretches of time in between games for him. He was always ready to step into the lineup, and he was even able to contribute a few points over the course of the season. He is and likely always will be a fringe-NHLer, but he’s one of the better options for teams given his acceptance of his role and readiness to play regardless of how long he has been sitting. He was also on a really cheap deal last season, with just a $650,000 cap hit, which was the league minimum at the time. The Bruins obviously agree that he’s a good option, as they resigned him to a two-year contract worth $1.6 million this summer ($800,000 AAV). This is especially true given the team will have nine NHL defensemen under contract next season once new deals are given to Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. This was a smart move to make, as at least one of those defensemen will likely be moved before the start of the season to clear cap space for McAvoy and Carlo’s new contracts. The most likely ones to be moved are on deals that carry a $2.5+ million cap hit, and it’s much easier to stomach paying a guy $800,000 to sit in the press box than at least $2.5 million when you are up against the cap.
As for what the Bruins can expect out of Kampfer next season, it’ll likely be more of the same. He’ll be the team’s seventh or eighth defenseman depending on how many are moved, but he should be able to step in and plug a hole when injuries inevitably regardless of how long he’s been sitting. He also showed he’s capable of running the team’s second power play unit if needed, which is an added bonus. He’s more of an offensive-minded defenseman who skates well, and while he takes some heat from fans for the mistakes he makes, he performs admirably as a seventh string defenseman. It’s unreasonable to expect much out of those types of players, especially at his price tag, because they are in that role and at that price point for a reason. He’s nearly 31-years-old, so what you see from him is likely what you’ll continue to get, and he was solid in his role last season, so hopefully, he will be again this upcoming season. But, I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens over the course of the season.
Hockey Addict 