Maple Leafs should reunite these two brothers in the NHL

When the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh in the sign-and-trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier this summer. It drastically improved their top pairing. They now have their number one defencemen, who can score 70 points a season, like he did last season.

However, there is a chance that he may not be the only Raddysh playing for the Maple Leafs. If his younger brother, Taylor Raddysh, is made available by the New York Rangers. Toronto needs to do their due diligence and see what it would cost to acquire him, and if the cost is a mid-tier draft pick, the Maple Leafs need to reunite Taylor with his brother Darren.

Raddysh's fit makes a ton of sense for the Maple Leafs

Unfortunately, due to a rather aggressive summer by the Rangers, Raddysh finds himself in a numbers game. As he carries a manageable $1.5 million cap hit and is entering the final year of his deal, the 28-year-old winger could find himself on the trade block.

For the Maple Leafs, adding Taylor into the bottom six would add in another winger who brings physical tenacity and legitimate middle-six scoring touch. Just two seasons removed from a 20-goal performance in Chicago. He has been known to have a heavy shot, who can get in on the forecheck, win puck battles along the boards, and who can also take on some defensive responsibilities. 

It is clear that John Chayka’s offseason was spent trying to change the overall structure of the roster. Last season they were known to be a rather slow, heavier team. However, after the moves that he made, they’ve become a faster, more physical, and most importantly, much more defensively responsible team. Which will allow the top-six to focus more on the offensive side of the game. 

Now, with the news that Max Domi will be missing training camp and potentially even longer. This should help push Chayka and the front office in the direction of trying to acquire Raddysh. Obviously, there is a deep group of bottom-six forwards already heading into camp. But it is better to have too many and deal with the overflow before the start of the season. 

Ideally, if the Maple Leafs were to acquire Raddysh from the Rangers, he would fit in on the third line alongside Nick Paul and Jack Roslovic very well. Which would push Colton Sissons to the fourth line and potentially even make Dakota Joshua expandable. And considering there is nearly a $2 million difference between Joshua and Raddysh’s cap hits, it would definitely help the Maple Leafs’ current cap situation. 

And then there is the chance at reuniting the brothers again. As mentioned before, Taylor is Darren’s brother; both grew up as Maple Leafs fans, and both now could have the opportunity to wear the Maple Leaf on their chest. It would be a very surreal moment for the brothers, who could get the chance to play on their boyhood team together. It would likely be something that both players have dreamt about since they were young kids in Caledon, Ontario. 

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