Boston Bruins prospect profile #7: Steve Kampfer

Steven Kampfer, D
5-11, 197
September 24, 1988
Shoots: Right
Acquired from Anaheim for 2010 fourth-round pick (Justin Shugg- Carolina via Anaheim) , March, 2010
Signing status: Signed through 2013

Talent Analysis

Physical:Undersized but skilled defender got a decent look in primetime last season, and if not for a knee injury suffered late in the season while down in Providence, might have gotten into a Boston playoff game. Good skater with nice blend of speed and quickness. Moves well laterally and backwards. Likes to jump up into the play and has a separation gear that can get him past defenders when he sees an opening. Fine passer who can start the play up and out of his zone quickly. Possesses a nice shot; better with quick wrister or snap shot than he is firing a slap shot from the point. Good transition man who can get the puck out quickly. Like most defenders his size, he has his hands full when trying to move bigger, stronger forwards out from in front of his net or fighting for pucks along the walls. Chippy and rugged; adept at making contact in the open ice. Positioning still needs improvement, but Kampfer clearly showed he has enough NHL tools to be a player.

Intangibles: Had some controversy coming out of college, but obviously showed the Bruins something, as he was named captain and wore the 'C' in Boston's two rookie games played against the Islanders prospects last September. A hard worker who did what the team asked of him- just needs to keep his head down and continue on the path of success without letting any of the distractions that come with being a pro athlete get the better of him.


Boston Bruins 2011 Development Camp assessment

Did not attend

Projection

Sees the ice well and has the kind of hockey sense to go with his wheels and puck skills to be a solid puck-moving defenseman in the NHL, albeit a middle-tier kind of guy. However, given his still developing potential, Kampfer could break into the top-four someday as a useful offense-minded player and specialist. The key for the B's and Kampfer will be to pair him with more of a shutdown/defensively responsible player. The trade (originally drafted in the fourth round in 2007 by Anaheim- missed being eligible for the 2006 draft by 10 days) originally didn't look all that great on paper, but Kampfer has been better than advertised and is a player to watch this season. Watch for him to be this year's Adam McQuaid, in that barring a major setback at camp, Kampfer's NHL experience gives him the inside track to make the Boston roster in October as the seventh defenseman. He'll have to bide his time as a healthy scratch in all likelihood, but he'll be ready to take over for anyone in the top-six if injuries occur. A year ago, McQuaid made Mark Stuart expendable, and in today's economics in the NHL, were Kampfer to do the same to another higher-priced player, GM Peter Chiarelli has shown a willingness to make the moves necessary to fee up roster space.

Kampfer rookie season NHL highlights

Click here to see Kampfer on YouTube

Quotable

“I think it helped me out a lot. I was excited to get out there, I was excited to sign with the Bruins. Going out there and playing with guys of that level and starting my development going forward was a big help.”- Steve Kampfer, Wilmington, Mass.; July 6-10, 2010

“I need to work on my defensive game. It was something that we talked about at the end of the year, just positioning, stickwork and just getting stronger in the corners and moving guys out of the way. Overall, I gotta get better in every aspect of the game, but those are the things I gotta keep working on.”- Steve Kampfer; July, 2010

“As a kid coming out of college, you could just look at Steve in his first few (AHL) games and the way he conducted himself off the ice and see that he was a little more ready for pro hockey than some of his peers were. He’s carried that over in his first full season and been a strong, consistent player from Game 1 up to now.”- former Providence head coach Rob Murray; December, 2010