Leafs acquire Raddysh from Lightning in sign-and-trade
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- Toronto Maple Leafs acquired defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a sign-and-trade, removing one of the top offensive defensemen from the upcoming NHL free agent market.
- Raddysh will sign an eight-year contract with an $8.5 million average annual value; the Lightning receive a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft in return.
- Raddysh posted a career-best 2025-26 season with 22 goals, 48 assists, 70 points, and a +21 plus-minus in 73 games while averaging 22:42 per game — including 26 power-play points and 10 power-play goals alongside MVP Nikita Kucherov (37 PP points) and Jake Guentzel.
- Raddysh was an undrafted free agent who began with the Chicago Blackhawks organization in 2017-18 and didn't make his NHL debut until 2021-22 with Tampa Bay, finishing his Lightning tenure with 35 goals and 108 points in 249 games.
- Maple Leafs GM John Chayka called Raddysh "one of the NHL's premier two-way defensemen" and said he strengthens the blue line in every situation; this is Chayka's latest roster move since being hired last month.
- Lightning GM Julien BriseBois had said he foresaw Raddysh staying in Tampa "for a very long time, hopefully until the end of his career," but the Lightning were seeking cap flexibility with Kucherov's potential mega-extension looming in summer 2027.
Why it matters: Toronto turned a single fifth-round pick into the best offensive defenseman on a thin free-agent market, signing him for eight years at $8.5 million AAV — a clear roster upgrade for new GM John Chayka. For Tampa, losing Raddysh frees cap space they may redirect toward retaining Nikita Kucherov, whose massive extension is expected in 2027.
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