The Toronto Maple Leafs made a major offseason move on Friday, acquiring defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning through a sign-and-trade agreement that kept the 30-year-old off the open free agent market.
Before the trade was completed, Raddysh — a native of Toronto — first signed an eight-year contract with Tampa Bay. While neither team officially announced the financial details, TSN reported the deal carries an average annual value of $8.5 million, totaling $68 million over its full term.
The new deal marks a dramatic increase from Raddysh’s previous contract, a two-year agreement worth $1.95 million that he signed back in August 2023.
In exchange for Raddysh, who would have been eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, the Lightning received a fifth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft.
This past season was the best of Raddysh’s career across the board. He set personal bests in goals (22), assists (48), points (70), plus/minus rating (plus-21), power-play goals (10), power-play points (26), game-winning goals (six), and average ice time per game (22:42). Remarkably, his 70-point season nearly equaled the combined total of his previous four seasons, during which he accumulated 73 points.
Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka expressed enthusiasm about the acquisition. “We are thrilled to add a defenseman of Darren’s caliber to our organization,” Chayka said. “Darren has emerged as one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, combining elite puck-moving ability with poise, competitiveness, and strong play in all three zones. He strengthens our blue line in every situation and is exactly the type of player we want helping lead this team.”
During his time with Tampa Bay, Raddysh appeared in 249 regular-season games, posting 143 points on 35 goals and 108 assists.
