David Kampf’s name briefly surfaced in the Alex Tuch sign-and-trade between the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals, but he won’t be suiting up in Buffalo.
Instead, the 31-year-old forward has signed a three-year deal with HC Litvinov in the Czech Extraliga, according to a press release from the club.
Kampf’s inclusion in the Tuch trade appears to have been about balancing the number of contracts in the deal, not about an actual stop in Buffalo. His contract had expired, which meant the Sabres would have needed to sign him to a new one if he were going to stay.
He split the 2025-26 season between the Canucks and Capitals, appearing in just two NHL games for Washington after being dealt there at the deadline.
Now he’s heading back to Europe, and he made clear in the team’s release that the move has been on his mind for a while.
“I’ve been thinking about returning to the Czech Republic for a long time; it was nine demanding years overseas," Kampf said in the press release, with an English translation via Pro Hockey Rumors. "I felt that the time had come to return home and find a team near where I live.
Chomutov plays in the first league, so I decided on Litvínov, which I’ve had a relationship with since childhood, when I went to games there. In the NHL, it’s been more of a job for me in recent years.
I didn’t really enjoy hockey. I’m looking forward to getting more space here, gaining new momentum, and having fun with hockey again.”
Before that split season, Kampf had already logged NHL time with the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs. If his NHL run is over, he leaves with 149 points across parts of nine seasons.
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