The Toronto Maple Leafs made a huge bet on Darren Raddysh. That’s ancient history.
But when looking at the move following Tuesday night’s Opening Night loss to the Montreal Canadiens, there may be some cause for concern.
Now, it’s not that Raddysh had an awful game. But he actually did struggle. He avoided massive defensive gaffes, but the ones he did commit ended up in the back of the net.
And no, he isn’t going to score every game, as much as Leafs fans would expect him to. But the bottom line is that he didn’t come away with a super impressive performance in his official Maple Leafs debut.
And that could give plenty of credence to a recent statement by Frank Servalli.
In a recent column, Servalli wrote the following regarding the concerns one NHL executive expressed about Raddysh and his arrival in Toronto.
“My thing is, I have no clue what Darren Raddysh is. Did he find something at age 30 or was he a massive benefactor of Nikita Kucherov and some unsustainable finishing? This feels like an unprecedented ascent, like he won a lottery ticket.”
Yes, it’s true that playing with Nikita Kucherov and a talented core in Tampa Bay can help anyone elevate their game. But the reservations expressed may become legitimate if Raddysh can’t live up to the hype that came with his contract.
“He’s a solid player with a nice shot, but the unprecedented nature of his path and age would make me feel pretty nervous.”
Just about everyone who’s weighed in on the situation has agreed that Raddysh will be good during the first couple of years of his contract.
It’s the back half of the deal that could raise significant questions. That situation led Servalli to conclude:
"It feels like Raddysh is the ultimate boom or bust. This is either the beginning of a beautiful story or the first scenes of eight nightmarish years."
Maple Leafs need to be patient with Raddysh in the early going
The bottom line is that the Maple Leafs need to show some patience with Raddysh. The shortened preseason did not help the largely veteran group gel into a cohesive unit, especially with about half of the team renewed and a new coaching staff.
So, the question is: How much runway does Raddysh have?
How long will it take before fans and the media begin to seriously question the move?
You would have to think that about a month would suffice before the team shows it’s truly ready to compete.
If Tuesday night’s performance was any indication, there really isn’t much cause for panic. The Leafs played a solid game against a good team like the Montreal Canadiens. The game was close, and, despite the negative outcome for Toronto, there was no real indication they were outplayed.
As for Raddysh himself, he led the team with 23:47 of ice time cross 28 shifts. He ended the night a minus-2, and registered five giveaways.
But then again, Raddysh isn’t exactly a defensive specialist. But the Leafs do need him to play his position well. That’s why there might be some cause for concern.
Things should be fine for now.
The Leafs will get one more crack at their first win of the season against the New York Islanders on Wednesday night. If they can pull out a W, and especially if Raddysh plays well, the outlook may change.
Add us as a preferred source on Google