News broke a few days ago that the Toronto Maple Leafs had acquired defenceman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Once the defenceman was acquired, John Chayka signed him to an eight-year extension worth $8.5M a year. This is exactly the kind of move that the Leafs needed. An elite defenceman who can run the power play and be the main guy to rely on in critical moments. Raddysh is coming off a dominant season with the Lightning, where he scored 22 goals and 70 points in just 73 games. This is a franchise-altering move for the Leafs that will definitely help them contend again next season.
The main question going forward is who will be Raddysh’s defensive partner to start the season? Let’s review some options.
Morgan Rielly
In my opinion, I do not think Rielly and Raddysh should be on the same pairing. They are both offence-minded, which would likely lead to some breakdowns on defence. Rielly has actually received a lot of heat over the past season, with many fans thinking that it is time to move on from him. With the acquisition of Raddysh, I think that the Leafs should at least keep Rielly for now to see how things turn out. He can be a great secondary offensive defenceman to Raddysh, and he can run the second power play unit.
I think a pairing of Rielly and Brandon Carlo may have to be the move to open the season (assuming both are still with the Leafs). Yes, this could be a disastrous decision, but given the current lines, it makes sense.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Now, I think that Ekman-Larsson could definitely be the main guy to be Raddysh’s defensive partner next season. OEL is a long-time NHL veteran who has played with all kinds of defencemen. I think he can be the one to step in and hold down the fort while Raddysh does his thing. Yes, OEL does have some offensive upside, as shown last year, but I think playing with Raddysh will help take some of that pressure off of him. With this pairing, both players get to be themselves and run with it.
This is the easy pairing that I would go with to start the year. This is a solid first pairing with a mix of offence, experience, and defensive skills.
Jake McCabe
If not for Ekman-Larsson, I would not mind seeing McCabe play alongside Raddysh. He is a pure defensive defenceman who can block shots, hit, and win battles. McCabe is a really physical player whose main role is on the penalty kill. The Leafs saw his efforts in full swing last season, as he blocked 190 shots over 80 games. I am not sure whether McCabe could keep up with Raddysh for a full season, but both players would complement each other well.
Chris Tanev
Tanev is in a very similar boat to McCabe. He is a pure defensive defenceman who is arguably one of the toughest warriors in the NHL. He does whatever it takes to win. Win puck battles, block shots with his face, or take a big hit to move the puck. He is a guy that everyone wants on their team. However, I do not think that he is the guy to play alongside Raddysh. With respect to Tanev’s age of 36 years, I think he needs more of a depth role.
Tanev has struggled to stay healthy over the past few years as a result of the type of game he plays. He appeared in only 11 games for the Leafs last season, which hopefully is not a sign of a potential career-ending injury. I would recommend keeping him in a depth role to reduce the risk of him getting hurt while playing top-line minutes. He is also a right-handed shot, so I would think the Leafs would want to keep him on the right side.
Emil Andrae
Emil Andrae is one of the newest additions to the Leafs. He was acquired in the trade that sent goalie Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Andrae, goalie Samuel Ersson, and a third-round pick. Andrae has struggled to stay in the NHL and make a serious impact. On the bright side, he pretty much played the full season last year on the Flyers and made four appearances in the playoffs.
I think Andrae would be an interesting partner for Raddysh. I do not think it would be a full-time decision, but it would be interesting to see how it turns out. Andrae is mostly known for his offensive abilities and could learn a lot from a player like Raddysh. The young Swedish defenceman never really had a pure offensive defenceman to learn from (outside of Travis Sanheim, if that even counts). I think this pairing could be a short-term experiment.
Final thoughts
To make things clear, I did not include Carlo on the list because I do not think he will be on the Leafs next season. He has a tradable contract, and after his performance last season, he can easily be replaced. Overall, I think there will need to be some trial and error with Raddysh entering the new defensive core. At this early stage, I do believe that OEL will be the best fit alongside Raddysh.
Who do you think is the most suitable partner for Raddysh in Toronto?
