- Darren Raddysh joins the Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade from Tampa Bay
- The hometown defenseman signed an eight-year, $8.5 million deal before the move
- Read below for what wearing the Leafs jersey means to Raddysh and his late father
Darren Raddysh grew up a Maple Leafs fan in Caledon, Ontario. Now he gets to play for them.
Raddysh spoke to reporters Monday and did not hide what the move meant to him. “It means the world,” the 30-year-old defenseman said. “My brother and I grew up being Leafs fans. We’d go with our dad to watch the games. And to be able to put that jersey on, and to play in front of the home fans, it’s awesome.”
The moment carried extra weight. Raddysh’s father, Dwayne, died March 3 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He had always wanted to see one of his sons suit up for Toronto.
Raddysh was asked about his fondest memory as a young Leafs supporter. “I think it was just going with my dad,” he said. “Seeing the smile he had on his face when we’d go to the games, and how much joy it brought to me and my brother, it’s something I cherished. Just to be able to play here every night, it’s one of his dreams, and I’m happy I can make that happen for him.”
Watch Raddysh’s full media availability:
Toronto did not wait around. Raddysh signed an eight-year contract worth $8.5 million per season, then the Lightning sent him north for a fifth-round pick in the 2026 draft. He was 12 days from unrestricted free agency.
Raddysh is coming off a career year. He put up 22 goals, 48 assists and 70 points with a plus-21 rating over 73 games, while averaging 22:42 of ice time. That nearly matched his point total from his first four NHL seasons combined.
He had nothing bad to say about Tampa Bay on the way out. “It came down to just business,” Raddysh said. “I think they wanted to go in a different direction than what we wanted to, and it led to Toronto.”
The deal fits a Toronto front office that has spent the offseason in win-now mode. Tampa Bay confirmed its side:
Raddysh calls himself a two-way defenseman who takes pride in his own end. He gets to prove it at home, in the jersey his dad always wanted to see him wear.
