The Toronto Maple Leafs being in on free agent defenseman Darren Raddysh is something that I have been talking about for months, going back into the regular season, so it is not a surprise that one of Chayka’s first moves was to make a sign-and-trade with Tampa for the right-handed Toronto native.
The trade, giving up a 2026 fifth-round pick to be able to get a max deal, was smart business since it allows Toronto to spread out the AAV over eight seasons.
The contract, an $8.5 million AAV for a 30-year-old who had a career year playing on the point in Tampa with Nikita Kucherov feeding him the puck, is risky because it is quite likely that Raddysh is nowhere close to being a 70-point defenseman. There are some who, when discussing the potential of signing Raddysh on July 1, have said that he is not worth what he would demand on the open market in a free agent class bereft of defensemen. One reality is that the cap is going up, prices are going up, and the mandate from Leafs ownership is to return to being a playoff club next season, so this move costs them nothing but cap space; that cap space is going up every season.
If fortunate, the Leafs will get 45-50 points out of him, and his shot from the point will help the Toronto power play with Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and potentially Gavin McKenna thrive. Details of the contract, which Chayka undersold as having some trade protection, are typical of an in-demand unrestricted free agent:
2026-27: $1M base, $10M signing bonus, full NMC
2027-28: $5M base, $6M signing bonus, full NMC
2028-29: $4.5M base, $6M signing bonus, full NMC
2029-30: $4.25M base, $4M signing bonus, full NMC
2030-31: $3.45M base, $4M signing bonus, full NMC
2031-32: $3.3M base, $3.3M signing bonus, full NMC
2032-33: $3.3M base, $3.3M signing bonus, 16-team no-trade
2033-34: $3.3M base, $3.3M signing bonus, 16-team no-trade
The Leafs structured the deal so that it is buyout-able, even with 50% of the salary being a signing bonus, in the final three years, when Raddysh will be 36,37, and 38 years old, but they are gambling that as a late-bloomer, he will be able to play on the top or second pairing for the first five years of the deal.
The next step with the Leafs blueline is where there are potential pitfalls. Acquiring Raddysh and adding an $8.5 million salary could result in a number of roster changes. Qualifying offers to goalie Sam Ersson or winger Matias Maccelli could be accepted by players coming off bad or disappointing seasons, which could mean that Chayka will simply let them become unrestricted free agents. That does not eliminate the possibility of both coming back, but at a more reasonable salary.
In goal, the Leafs may look to move out Stolarz and his $3.75 million salary and go with youngsters Hildeby, Artur Akhtyamov, and another free agent goalie.
On defense, the Leafs need to know whether Chris Tanev is 100% and ready to return next season. If he is, a shutdown pairing with him and Jake McCabe could still be effective. Oliver Ekman-Larsson seems ageless, and could be the top pairing partner for Raddysh, but it would make sense that Chayka will attempt to move out Morgan Rielly and his $7.5 million cap hit, or deal Brandon Carlo with one year left on his deal.
Rielly’s term and salary will mitigate what the Leafs will get for him, and my assertion is that it is better to keep him and play him in a lesser role than simply dump a capable NHL blueliner for the return of a third-round pick. Carlo is not where Toronto is looking to go on the blueline, but right-handed defensemen with size and reach will be in demand, especially with a free agent class being so thin.
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Tagged: nhl, Toronto Maple Leafs