Now that the Toronto Maple Leafs and new front-office leader John Chayka have finalized their coaching search, attention can be shifted to upgrading the roster. The Maple Leafs general manager started that process by trading away goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers.
Next week's NHL Draft now becomes the immediate focus for Chayka and senior executive advisor Mats Sundin, but looming in the not-too-distant future is the start of free agency. With a thin free-agent class, a few players have the good fortune of hitting the market at an ideal time.
Among the bigger names scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency are forward Alex Tuch and defensemen Rasmus Andersson and Darren Raddysh. The Maple Leafs are said to have a strong interest in local product, Raddysh, who has yet to sign an extension with his former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. The potential fairy-tale story, however, has some obstacles to overcome.
Why the Maple Leafs Must Think Twice Before Signing Raddysh
On a recent episode of TSN's OverDrive, ESPN color analyst Ray Ferraro was hesitant to give an endorsement of the upcoming class of free-agent defenseman. Co-hosts and former NHLers Jamie McLellan and Jeff O'Neill were aghast that Raddysh and Andersson are likely to sign deals that average $9 million per season.
O'Neill opined that the first couple of years of a deal like that might be okay, but "you're going to hate it sooner or later." McLellan predicted both defensemen would sign deals that hit the $9 million AAV mark. Ferraro noted, "It's a really good time to be a free agent."
The ESPN analyst warned of Raddysh, "It was such a career year (23 goals). Do you really trust that that is the norm?" He elaborated, saying, "Don't forget he had Kucherov laying sweet little dishes on his tape all season, too."
"It was such a career year. Do you really trust that that is the norm?"Ray Ferraro on Darren Raddysh
Ferraro admitted he was maybe a little skeptical of the current crop of UFAs, but added, "Nine million bucks is pretty hefty for those guys." He was particularly wary of paying Andersson that amount after his struggles during the second half of the season and in the playoffs with the Vegas Golden Knights.
From a Maple Leafs' perspective, Ferraro hit on a lot of worthy points to consider. Raddysh is on the wrong side of thirty and has played only three full NHL seasons. Toronto already has too many aging blueliners. Before his breakout season in 2025-26, he only scored six goals in each of his previous two seasons in seventy-plus games.
For Raddysh to be effective, he needs a bona fide playmaker setting him up, especially on the power play. The Leafs do not have a playmaker comparable to Kucherov since Mitch Marner left. Presumptive first overall pick Gavin McKenna might someday fill that role, but it is likely to require a couple of years before he gets there.
While local boy, Raddysh, returning and finding success with his hometown team makes for a great story, there are an abundance of risks that should cause Chayka and the Maple Leafs to proceed with caution.
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