Sabres' trade return in Alex Tuch trade has already left NHL for contract in Czechia

Sabres' trade return in Alex Tuch trade has already left NHL for contract in Czechia originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

As part of the sign-and-trade that sent Alex Tuch from the Buffalo Sabres to the Washington Capitals, the Caps sent David Kampf back to the Sabres.

Kampf isn't going to actually play in Buffalo, though.

The 31-year old forward has signed a three-year contract in the Czech Extraliga with HC Litvinov, according to a press release from that team.

Kampf's inclusion in the Tuch deal ends up being about matching the quantity of contracts on the move, and apparently he wasn't intending to play with the Sabres to begin with.

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His contract was actually up, so Buffalo would've had to sign him to a new deal.

He played for the Canucks for part of the 2025-26 season before being traded to the Capitals at the deadline. Kampf got into just two games at the NHL level for Washington.

Now, he heads back to Europe.

“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.”

Kampf had previously played for the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs before his split season with the Canucks and Capitals.

If this is it, Kampf finishes his NHL career with 149 points over portions of nine seasons.