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David Kämpf has quietly helped Canucks penalty kill significantly since his arrival
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Photo credit: © Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Jeff Paterson
Dec 16, 2025, 12:00 ESTUpdated: Dec 16, 2025, 11:01 EST
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Amidst all the turmoil that has taken the Vancouver Canucks to dead last in the overall standings, very quietly, the team’s once-horrid penalty kill has risen steadily over the past month. The biggest reason for the uptick?
David Kämpf. Yes, that David Kämpf. The same guy who has yet to produce a single point since signing with the hockey club as a free agent in mid-November. The same guy who had been completely miscast by the Canucks as a top-six centre. 
But give him a chance while the team is shorthanded, and the 30-year-old Czech has absolutely found a way to make his mark in Vancouver. The numbers don’t lie. 
Up until Kämpf joined the Canucks for a November 17th game against the Florida Panthers, the Canucks were last in the league on the penalty kill at 67.2%. In 12 games with Kämpf logging the most minutes among all Canucks forwards while shorthanded, the team has killed penalties at a very acceptable rate of 80.5%. And if you give Kämpf one game’s grace since he made his debut in a wild 8-5 loss in Florida without as much as a practice with his new team, the Canucks PK rises to 82.9% over the past 11 games. While Kämpf has done nothing to help the team offensively (nor should he have realistically been expected to), his arrival has led to at a minimum a 13% bump in penalty killing success – and 15% if you’re being generous.
As a team, the Canucks allowed 21 power play goals in their first 20 games. They’ve given up just six in the last 11 games after surrendering a pair in Kämpf’s debut.
Individually, Kämpf’s underlying numbers show he has been a valuable addition as a penalty killer. His GA/60 while shorthanded is 9.5, which compares favourably to all of the leading penalty killing forwards over the first 20 games – Elias Pettersson (12.79), Kiefer Sherwood (13.02), Conor Garland (13.81) and Drew O’Connor (17.13). Kämpf’s xGA/60 of 6.3 also reflects a significant upgrade over those that had been doing the job earlier in the season – Pettersson (11.26), Garland (9.75), Sherwood (9.72) and O’Connor (8.53). 
Since his arrival, Kämpf has led all Canucks forwards in shorthanded faceoffs taken, winning half of the 30 draws he’s taken. Compare that to Elias Pettersson, who has managed to win just six of 25 penalty killing faceoffs over the same span. 
Overall, the Canucks have addressed the seam passes that torched them in the first month of the season. They have looked sharper as a group on the penalty kill, and the numbers back that up. In turn, their goaltending has been better while shorthanded since the middle of November, and that certainly gives the overall group a boost. 
But make no mistake, David Kämpf has found a way to contribute to the Canucks. It hasn’t been enough to help the club climb out of the league basement. However, if anyone asks what exactly Kämpf does for the hockey club, it’s clear he’s become a key contributor to a penalty kill that has improved considerably since he arrived on the scene.

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