After another disappointing end to the season for the Toronto Maple Leafs, a lot of fans would argue that something needs to change in Leaf Land. Some may argue that the management change may be enough with the firing of GM Brad Treliving. Others may argue that Coach Craig Berube should be on the way out as well.
If you’re like me, you’re not the biggest Toronto Maple Leafs fan in the world, and you kind of love it when things are chaotic for the Leafs. In my opinion, the Leafs need not only a personnel change, but a full philosophy change. For the last decade, the Leafs have been under the impression that they’re close to a championship and that they have the right pieces. Call me crazy, but I don’t think passing the opening round in the playoffs twice in 22 years is necessarily “close to a championship.”
Looking ahead
With uncertainty looming over the Leafs’ future with players like Morgan Rielly and Auston Matthews, this could be the perfect time for a retool. If management thinks it’s time to move on from Morgan Rielly, this offseason could be the time to pursue a replacement on the blue line.
Darren Raddysh had 70 points this season for the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. He’s been a full-time NHLer for the past three seasons. After spending the first six seasons bouncing around between teams in the AHL, Raddysh’s 70 points were good enough to lead defencemen on the Lightning and to be seventh among defencemen in NHL scoring this season.
Darren Raddysh’s contract is set to expire on July 1, and he has proven he’s due for a raise. He’s been making $975K AAV for the last two years, and will certainly make at least $6M on his new deal. The question is, will his production keep up, or was this year a bit of a flash in the pan?
How good is he?
Raddysh was able to prove himself in the Lightning lineup due to an injury to Victor Hedman, and Raddysh slid right into Hedman’s role and thrived! There are many question marks about how much Raddysh is worth. He’s had a career year this season, and at age 30, there are questions about whether he’ll be able to make those types of stats more consistent in the future. Those same questions came up when Mark Giordano won the Norris Trophy with the Calgary Flames at 35 years old.
There have been talks of an extension between Raddysh and the Lightning, but they’re not on the same page in negotiations. So, in the scenario where the Lightning can’t get an extension done, I think he’d be a really good addition to the Leafs’ defence corps. Is he going to put up 20-plus goals again next year? Probably not, but he does seem to be a steady top-four defenceman.
Raddysh seems ot be what they call a “late bloomer,” starting his career in the AHL. He’s due for a raise this summer. In the 2025–26 season, he was close to a point-per-game pace, recording 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games for the Lightning. He saw a jump with his average ice time increasing to 22:42 per game after Hedman went down. Up from roughly 17–19 minutes in previous seasons.
How do the Leafs get him?
Recent reports suggest Raddysh is targeting a deal similar to his teammate, JJ Moser, who signed for six years at $6.75M annually. If Morgan Rielly is moved, along with his $7.5M cap hit, Raddysh could slide right in as an upgrade. However, Raddysh could be a possible signing if they decide not to blow it up. If they do decide to build for the future, then obviously you’d want to trade for some younger players and build through the draft.
Some problems would arise if they decide to rebuild; they’d have to make some trades for draft capital, as the Leafs have only one first-round pick for the next two drafts, this year and next year. Obviously, the Leafs could get their first-round pick back depending on the outcome of the draft lottery next month.
I don’t think the Leafs have what it takes to win a championship with their current core. Running it back with the same group after this season went about as poorly as it could’ve given the expectations at the beginning of the season. Darren Raddysh could be a step in the right direction for the Leafs.
