The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade deal, taking one of the top offensive defensemen off the upcoming NHL free agent market.
Raddysh will sign an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $8.5 million, a source told ESPN. The Lightning are receiving a fifth-round pick in the upcoming 2026 draft from the Maple Leafs.
The 30-year-old Raddysh had a breakout season in 2025-26 with career highs in goals (22), assists (48), points (70) and plus-minus (+21) while playing a career-high 22:41 over 73 games for the Lightning. He tallied 26 points on their power play, which featured NHL MVP Nikita Kucherov (37 power-play points) and Jake Guentzel (30 points), using a booming shot from the point to score 10 goals with the man advantage.
"We are thrilled to add a defenceman of Darren's caliber to our organization," Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka said in a statement. "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 was an undrafted free agent who got his start in the Chicago Blackhawks' organization in 2017-18 before being traded to the New York Rangers. The late bloomer didn't make his NHL debut until 2021-22 with the Lightning, for whom he would play five seasons, becoming an NHL regular in 2023-24. Overall, the right-shot defenseman had 35 goals and 143 points in 249 games for the Lightning, skating to a plus-24.
He was perhaps the best offensive defenseman available in what is considered a thin NHL free agent market that starts July 1.
The Lightning were hoping he might stick around on a hometown discount, seeking to use cap space in other areas and with a monster contract extension for Kucherov potentially on the horizon in summer 2027.
"He stepped up big-time when we needed him this year," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said after a season in which Tampa Bay had significant lineup absences. "He's a phenomenal player, and a key reason that we are as competitive as we are. I foresee him staying in our organization for a very long time, hopefully until the end of his career."
Instead, Raddysh is the latest reshaping of the Maple Leafs' roster by Chayka, who was hired last month.