The Leafs traded for the pending UFA rights for Darren Raddysh and have signed him to an eight-year, $8.5 million contract. With this move, the Leafs have made a substantial addition to their blueline, adding to a major area of weakness over the last number of seasons. Raddysh is an interesting player, having a late career outburst with the Tampa Bay Lightning this season. Let’s take a closer look at Raddysh and what he might bring to the Leafs.
Darren Raddysh NHL Stats and Player Profile
Most understanding of Raddysh comes from this past season, by far the most prolific of his career. Raddysh was phenomenal for the Lightning this season. With 70 points, he was a huge contributor offensively. Raddysh was a great option on the power play, an area the Leafs have been longing to upgrade. The fact that Raddysh got a chance on a top power play and excelled is essential to understanding his potential value for the Leafs.
Raddysh was quite good at even strength. It should be noted that he was playing alongside a strong Lightning team, and was paired with a great partner in J.J. Moser. The pairing was the most consistent the Lightning had last season. That said, Raddysh did have strong results with other partners.
It should be noted that Raddysh was deployed offensively, sheltered from a large volume of shifts starting in his own zone. At the very least Raddysh proved he can be a driver for puck control at even strength. Still, Raddysh should not be expected to kill penalties regularly or operate as a shutdown option.
Contract Hangups: Can He Replicate His Power Play Production?
The biggest question mark is that Raddysh has a small history of being so impactful at the NHL level. He did have a prolific season to end his OHL career, and another point per game season in 2022–23, his last AHL season. Raddysh has been a regular for the Lightning in each of the past three seasons, and continued to improve throughout. While this latest season was an outburst, there are clear signs that Raddysh can be an impactful player once he figures out the league he is in. There are clear signs of improvement as well.
Raddysh shot a career high shooting percentage this past season, nearly double his first two seasons. His goal scoring was way up on the power play, where he was a great fit. His goal scoring greatly increased at even strength as well. It might be foolish to expect a repeat of his career high shooting percentage next season, and thus his 22 goals might be a tad ambitious as well. In all, the sublime playmaking of Nikita Kucherov was a huge boost to Raddysh’s goal totals.
At the same time, 15 goals might still be a reasonable expectation for Raddysh next season. Especially if he is on a top power play unit, his shot should make that target possible. In a sense, a trigger man like Raddysh might be better served alongside elite players in general. Perhaps as much as his game has continued to improve, the trust from his teammates and coaches might be as big of a reason for his increased production.
System Fit: How Raddysh Changes the Leafs’ Defensive Pairings
There are multiple ways to approach the question of how Raddysh fits with the Leafs. A clear path to top power play time is crucial. Simply put, Raddysh is far more valuable to any team that can offer him a spot on the top power play unit. The Leafs have longed for a shooting threat up top, which could grant some extra space to Auston Matthews and William Nylander on the flanks.
Combined with the return of once successful Leafs power play coach Jim Hillier, Raddysh would help solidify the power play as an area of strength for the Leafs. Naturally there is a lot to gain from a strong power play, but from an armchair psychologist a lethal power play might help offensive stars focus during even strength structure.
The Leafs need to be much better at controlling even strength play next season. Raddysh should help here as well. His right shot is useful for the Leafs as well. With Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev, the Leafs could unlock more options for their left defencemen with a puck mover on the right side. Carlo and Tanev do a lot to insulate Raddysh by eating up defensive responsibilities.
What to expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs going forward?
The acquisition of Raddysh might signal other things for the Leafs. For one, trading Morgan Rielly becomes much more plausible. Although many fans see moving on from Rielly as a necessity, his offensive ability was already in short supply for the Leafs last season. There seems to be a big emphasis on getting cleaner breakouts, which would help the offence as well as overall possession metrics. Adding Emil Andrae helped in this area as well, as GM John Chayka emphasized the left shot’s strong first passes.
It might also make a role for AHL hopeful William Villeneuve. The pending RFA has had an incredible Calder Cup playoffs with the Toronto Marlies. Raddysh might be beyond an optimistic projection for Villeneuve’s future. The Leafs have other options on the right, like Ben Danford or Philippe Myers, but both are more defensive options who could fill in for Carlo or Tanev. Time will tell what the Leafs do with Villeneuve, but some retaining depth could still be prudent.
The Bigger Picture: John Chayka’s Aggressive Blueline Overhaul
The Leafs are clearly looking to inject some offence into their blueline. A puck mover on the right side might have been the biggest hole on the roster, if not a centre to push John Tavares. With the first overall pick the Leafs will likely add another high octane scorer as well. Even before any coaching adjustments, the Leafs will have an influx of skill next season. Puck movers will increase the team’s speed, and a new look might reinvigorate spirits as well.
Raddysh is an undrafted player. This perspective might do a lot for the Leafs room. He might not give the Leafs a true Norris Trophy candidate, though he finished 11th in voting this season. At the very least Raddysh offsets the potential loss of Rielly, but he might raise the group either way. It is still an older blueline, and acquiring a younger player who might become elite might still be a want for many fans.
Without their own firsts the next two seasons, there is no point in the Leafs trying to be bad. With Auston Matthews’ contract lasting two more seasons and the likelihood of them drafting Gavin McKenna first overall, the playoff push is back on. With an extremely thin UFA class, not to mention the standard scarcity of right shot defencemen, there are few if any options as good as Raddysh this summer.
Getting ahead of the market might be costly, but the Leafs have a very narrow path to improving in the dramatic fashion required. Obviously the draft lottery win widened that path, but the Leafs need to be aggressive to alter their fate. There might be some other defencemen of the same calibre available this offseason, but they are limited.
Perhaps a veteran like Dougie Hamilton, or a younger player like Simon Nemec or Bowen Byram, might be in the same class. Getting any of these defencemen would be huge for the Leafs. Ensuring they get their best chance at Raddysh is nearly vital to securing a reasonable offseason.
Overall there has been some consternation about the Leafs operation in this calendar year, but the semblance of a plan is coming together. It is very encouraging to see some conviction from the team, as well as some immediate action to recover from a disastrous 2025–26 campaign.
