Leafs land Raddysh
Maple Leafs secure Darren Raddysh for eight years, signaling win-now strategy amid rising cap
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The Toronto Maple Leafs landed one of the top free agents on the market without ever entering a bidding war. GM John Chayka executed a sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 19, securing defenceman Darren Raddysh on an eight-year, $68 million deal — a $8.5 million average annual value — in exchange for just a 2026 fifth-round pick, according to TSN.
Raddysh, a 30-year-old Toronto native, is coming off a career-high 70 points in 73 games last season. He averaged 22:42 of ice time per night. "I'm very thankful for everything Tampa's given me," Raddysh said, "but I'm excited to come home," per Sportsnet.
The CBA Loophole That Made This Deal Possible
The Leafs did not just trade for Raddysh — they used Tampa Bay to lock him into a longer deal than Toronto could have offered on its own. Under NHL rules, a team can only give an eight-year contract to a player already on its roster at the previous trade deadline. By processing the trade before July 1, Tampa Bay could sign Raddysh to a full eight-year term before shipping him to Toronto, according to The Big Lead.
That extra year matters a lot. On the open market, Raddysh's max deal would have been seven years. Spreading $68 million over eight years instead of seven dropped the annual cap hit from a projected $10 million to $8.5 million, per TSN. Chayka jumped the queue before July 1 bidding could begin — and saved roughly $1.5 million per season in cap space doing it.
A Late Bloomer Betting on His Own Peak Years
Raddysh was undrafted and spent years in the AHL before breaking through with Tampa. Last season he posted 22 goals, 48 assists, and a +21 rating. He ranked No. 2 on TSN's Top 30 UFA list. His $8.5 million AAV makes him the 21st highest-paid defenceman in the NHL, per Pro Hockey Rumors.
Critics point out that Raddysh's breakout came while playing alongside Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov and filling in for injured star Victor Hedman, according to Inside The Rink. Tampa GM Julien BriseBois admitted Raddysh's surge "was not on the radar" earlier in his tenure, per Sportsnet. The Leafs are betting his gains are real — and that a rising salary cap will make $8.5 million look reasonable by the contract's middle years.
Chayka's Win-Now Signal After a 28th-Place Finish
The Leafs finished 28th in the NHL last season. Their biggest problem was zone exits — they could not move the puck out of their own end. Chayka, hired as GM on May 3, moved fast. He fired coach Craig Berube on May 13, named Jim Hiller as head coach on June 17, and completed the Raddysh trade two days later, per NHL.com.
Chayka described Raddysh as an "elite puck-moving" defender with "poise, competitiveness, and strong play in all three zones," per NHL.com. Sportsnet's Luke Fox argued the deal "starts Chayka's era with a bang," saying decisiveness was needed to fix a "broken" roster fast rather than rebuild over years, according to Sportsnet. Toronto still holds the No. 1 overall pick in the June 26 draft, giving Chayka both a veteran anchor and a potential franchise player.
Morgan Rielly's Future Now Hangs in the Balance
Adding Raddysh puts veteran defenceman Morgan Rielly's role in doubt. Raddysh is a right-shot offensive specialist — the same job Rielly held as the top power-play quarterback. Insiders report Rielly may be "open to a change of scenery," per TSN. He holds a full no-movement clause through 2030, meaning any trade requires his approval.
No formal request has been made for Rielly to waive his clause. His agent, J.P. Barry, is in ongoing talks with the Leafs about his future, according to the Calgary Herald. Toronto has roughly $18.7 million in remaining cap space after the Raddysh deal, per Pro Hockey Rumors, giving Chayka room to maneuver — but a Rielly trade may be needed to complete the roster rebuild.
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