Remember when NHL analysts were saying that John Chayka wasn't respected and no player would want to come here? Or that no NHL general manager would want to trade with him?
Well, in the very early hours of the morning, that narrative was put to bed when he swung for the fences and hit a home run by acquiring Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
As part of the deal, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Raddysh agreed to an eight-year, $68 million deal that carries an average annual value of $8.5 million. The Maple Leafs sent a 2026 fifth-round pick back to the Lightning as part of the sign-and-trade.
What Raddysh brings to the Maple Leafs
Raddysh is exactly what the Maple Leafs need. He is an offensive-minded, puck-moving defenceman who is coming off a breakout year. In 73 games last season, he had 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points and became a large part of the Lightning's power play success.
Now, he joins his boyhood team, earning his largest contract of his career, and has the chance to be the reason that the Maple Leafs' power play gets turned around. Raddysh, 30, is going to take over the role that Morgan Rielly no longer could fill, at just $1 million more per season. He's going to be on the top pairing, potentially with Chris Tanev or Jake McCabe. Which could be a pairing that is similar to Tomas Kaberle and Bryan McCabe from the early 2000s
The biggest complaint from Leafs Nation is that the contract is too big for someone who had one breakout season and is 30 years old. Yes, that does make sense, but the thing is, Toronto needed a right-handed-shooting defenceman like Raddysh. They aren't going to land a Cale Makar or Bowen Byram in a trade. So, to acquire Raddysh for a fifth, who could give you anywhere from 50-80 points, run the top power play unit, and break the puck out of the zone, is huge.
When you add in that $8.5 million is the equivalent to $5.5-6.5 million now that the cap has risen. Is more of a steal than anything, In reality, the first four years of his contract are the important ones; after that, the Maple Leafs can deal with the back half of the contract via a trade or buyout, if needed.
Nevertheless, this is a Chayka deal. He has shown that he isn't playing around; he is going to fix the blue line and get this team back into the playoffs. And while he is doing that, he is also quieting the doubters and the critics who questioned why the Maple Leafs would even give him the time of day.
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