Lightning deal Darren Raddysh to Maple Leafs in sign-and-trade

The more Darren Raddysh continued to pile up points throughout his breakout season, the more unlikely it seemed that the Lightning would be able to keep him.

By the midseason mark, Raddysh - who would set a single-season franchise record for goals by a defenseman (22) and lead the league in power-play goals by a D-man (10) - was emerging as the top defensemen in a thin free-agency class. The opportunity to sign a life-changing contract was ahead of him.

At season's end, Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois was committed to try to keep Raddysh. His rocket right-hand shot provided a weapon that revived the Lightning power play, and his all-around 5-on-5 game grew to make the pairing of him and J.J. Moser one of the best in the league.Raddysh's 70 points were the fourth-most by a Lightning defenseman in a season and most by any Tampa Bay defenseman not named Victor Hedman.

Still, it was always going to be a challenge to retain Raddysh because the Lightning were not going to outbid other teams for a player who had one monumental season as he reached the age of 30.

So late Thursday night, two weeks before he would hit the open market on July 1, the Lightning executed a sign-and-trade deal to send him to the Maple Leafs. Rather than let Raddysh walk and receive nothing, the Lightning get a 2026 fifth-round draft pick in return.

Raddysh's deal with the Maple Leafs is for eight years and worth an $8.5 million average annual value, a commitment the Lightning never were going to reach in either dollars or term.

The Maple Leafs had emerged in recent days as a top suitor. Raddysh grew up in the Toronto area, and following a season during which he lost his father to pancreatic cancer and saw the birth of his first child, a return home seemed fitting.

And Toronto's new front office, clearly looking to make a big splash ahead of free agency, jumped the line to acquire Raddysh. A lot of teams have money to spend with the cap going up $8.5 million, leading some to believe he could have received $9 million a year on the open market. Executing a sign-and-trade also allowed Toronto to sign Raddysh for an eighth year.

"We are thrilled to add a (defenseman) of Darren's caliber to our organization," Leafs GM John Chayka said in a release. "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."

Raddysh opened the 2025-26 season struggling to stay in the Lightning lineup. He was a healthy scratch in six of the first 13 games but stepped up when the team's defenseman corps was decimated by injuries. Raddysh assumed the defenseman spot on the first-team power play and ascended into a top-pairing role on the right side with J.J. Moser on the left.

After recording no more than 37 points in a season, Raddysh tallied 70 last season, seventh most among NHL defensemen. He also finished 11th in voting for the Norris Trophy, which goes to the league's top defenseman.

"The type of season he just had was not on the radar for us," BriseBois said at the end of the season. "And you need pleasant surprises along the way to offset injuries or guys that may not necessarily have as good a year as has been projected, and he stepped up big time when we needed him this year."

Asked in May whether he was aiming to return to the Lightning, Raddysh said, "with the business side, I think we'll take some time and let those guys deal with that."

"I'm very thankful for everything that Tampa has given me," Raddysh added. "They gave me a shot to play in the NHL. I've been here for the last four years, and I can't say anything bad about this organization. It's given me everything that I've always wanted to do in my life."

Center Nick Paul, who was a guest Thursday at the Lightning's girls hockey camp, said he had been staying in contact with Raddysh this offseason.

"Just making sure he's good, because I've been there with contract situations," Paul said. "It's not easy. Obviously, that's something where we love him on our team, but that's not in our hands, so it's more of just checking in and making sure he's in a good spot.

"It can get pretty intense," Paul said. "I've seen it a lot of times, where you just go over and over again, you don't want to make the wrong decision, because it's your life. … It's, ‘Hey, this is your decision, I know it's tough, you got a lot going on your plate, but do what you think is right. The gut always tells you what's right."

The Lightning will have to figure out a way to replace Raddysh's production, especially on the power play. Hedman will return from an injury-plagued season, and second-year D-man Charle-Edouard D'Astous emerged on the second-team power play.

But both are left-shot defensemen and wouldn't be able to duplicate Raddysh's 100-mph right-handed shot that was an added weapon for power-play catalyst Nikita Kucherov.

Without Raddysh, the Lightning have just two right-shot defensemen on the roster - Erik Cernak and Max Crozier - so they'll likely target the position in free agency.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Every weekday, tune into our Sports Day Tampa Bay podcast to hear reporter Rick Stroud break down the biggest stories in Tampa Bay sports.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on X and Facebook.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 7:39 AM.