The Toronto Maple Leafs are a team that is expected to have a much different look and feel next season after a disappointing 25-26 campaign that saw them surprisingly miss out on postseason contention.
If the Maple Leafs want to retain Auston Matthews and keep this core intact in an attempt to retool and quickly return to being a playoff team, they have to be aggressive on the open market this summer.
As such, insider Elliotte Friedman has linked Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh to a potential Toronto signing this offseason if he chooses to hit free agency.
Darren Raddysh Has Enjoyed a Breakout Season
Raddysh has enjoyed what has been by far his most productive season in the NHL this past year as he exploded for 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points in 73 games. This was a career year for the 30 year old Toronto native as he made his mark as Tampa’s top defender. He looks to continue his strong play for the Lightning during these playoffs.
The issue Tampa faces is that Raddysh’s current contract with the club expires upon conclusion of this season. With the way he has performed this year, he will command a pretty penny that Tampa may not be able to provide. If he tests the market in free agency, Toronto as a destination would make sense.
Toronto needs an upgrade on defense and Raddysh would strengthen that blueline significantly. The Maple Leafs could have a top defensive pair of Raddysh and Morgan Rielly. This move would be a massive benefit for the right side of a Toronto d-core that currently consists of Troy Stecher, Jake McCabe and William Villeneuve via Daily Faceoff.
Over the course of his five year NHL career thus far all with Tampa, Raddysh has amassed 35 goals and 108 assists for 143 points in 249 regular season games. In his playoff career, he has recorded two goals and one assist in 14 games.
What Direction Will The New Toronto Front Office Take?
Toronto’s probability of adding a player of Raddysh’s caliber all depends on what direction the new Maple Leafs front office will want to take. Because while the previous Brad Treliving administration may have been down for such a maneuver, it is not yet known how the new management group will want to proceed.
Whoever the new general manager ends up being, do they decide to try to keep this Leafs team in contention and go after a piece like Raddysh? Or do they decide enough is enough and enter a rebuilding process?
If they decide to opt for a retool process versus a full-scale rebuild, adding a player like Raddysh would be logical. He would add some much needed stability to a Toronto defense in desperate need of it after a year filled with woes on their backend. However, if the club opts to go the rebuild route this would not be a move that makes sense.
The question of how the Maple Leafs offseason will unfold will have to wait to be answered until Toronto brings in their new GM and we have a better idea of what road the team chooses to take in the future.
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