THE BREAKDOWN: The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired record-setting defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal. In exchange, Tampa Bay receives a 2026 fifth-round draft pick. Raddysh, a Toronto native coming off a career-high 70-point season, has locked in an eight-year contract extension worth over $8 million annually.
TAMPA, Fla. – The Toronto Maple Leafs have executed a major overhaul on their blue line, landing defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal.
Lightning vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois and Maple Leafs GM John Chayka announced the transaction on Friday. In return for the veteran defenseman, Tampa Bay acquires a fifth-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. Before the trade was finalized, Raddysh signed an eight-year contract extension worth more than $8 million per season, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported.
The move brings the 30-year-old Raddysh back to his hometown of Toronto just ahead of July 1, when he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent.
Raddysh is fresh off a breakout 2025-26 campaign where he established himself as a frontline offensive threat. The 6-foot-1, 202-pound defenseman skated in 73 games for the Lightning this season, setting a new franchise record for goals by a defenseman with 22.
He led all Tampa Bay blueliners across virtually every statistical category, racking up 48 assists, 70 points, 10 power-play goals, 26 power-play points, and six game-winning goals. He also recorded a plus-21 rating while averaging a career-high 22:42 of ice time.
“We are thrilled to add a defenceman of Darren’s caliber to our organization,” Maple Leafs GM John Chayka said in a statement provided by the team. “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’s path to a top-tier NHL contract was unconventional. Originally undrafted, he entered the league by signing a free-agent contract with the Chicago Blackhawks on May 21, 2018. He later signed with Tampa Bay as a free agent on July 28, 2021.
Before this trade, Raddysh had spent his entire NHL career in a Lightning uniform. Across 249 career games, he has compiled 35 goals and 108 assists for 143 total points.
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