Auston Matthews' future in Toronto could come down to Darren Raddysh

Auston Matthews is entering the 2026-27 NHL season after what was by far the worst season of his career.

In terms of offensive numbers, his output was so below his career average last season that it cast doubt on whether he will achieve the level of success he once had.

However, the newest addition is the best UFA defenseman on the market, Darren Raddysh.

Raddysh may be the key to getting Matthews back on track, particularly when it comes to the power play.

Last season, Matthews tied his career low of just five goals on the power play, with seven assists for a total of just 12 points. The lowest point total of his career, when his average season is 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points per his 82-game average.

Last season, Raddysh saw his playing time explode with Victor Hedman getting injured. He put up a career-best on the power play alone: 10 goals and 16 assists for 26 points as the quarterback in Tampa.

However, he did not just fill in; he produced at a rate that will hold up, and saw his play elevate to levels that got him an eight-year deal with Toronto.

Not to mention a career-best 70 points on the season as a whole as well.

Why Auston Matthews' power play went cold last season

There may be a plethora of reasons for Matthews having the worst numbers of his career, and it's more a byproduct of a combination of those factors than who he is as a player.

To start, Marc Savard, the Maple Leafs' power-play coach last season, was fired midseason for poor performance on the power play.

Having Jim Hiller as head coach, who ran the Leafs' power play incredibly effectively during his tenure as an assistant head coach, will likely help Matthews see some improvement with a more cohesive unit.

Matthews also likely missed having a play-making winger in Mitch Marner, who left for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Because Toronto's team lacked other threats, teams would prioritize Matthews and William Nylander with their top penalty killers.

Was Matthews great on the power play last season? No. But that was a structural flaw in team building, coaching, and many other factors outside of his control.

Matthews also played the second-fewest games of his career at 60; he had his season cut short with a knee-on-knee hit by Radko Gudas, which would also contribute to why his counting numbers were so low.

Adding a weapon like Raddysh takes attention away from Matthews, but also commands attention away from other guys as well.

How Raddysh's shot pulls defenders off of Matthews

But most importantly, the biggest upgrade of all this offseason was the acquisition of Darren Raddysh.

Last season, Toronto had one goal from a defenseman on the power play.

Raddysh provides more athleticism and an explosive shot from the point that is a weapon the Maple Leafs have not had in a defenseman; he had the most shots in the league at over 90 MPH, with 97, and that is a legitimate weapon on the power play.

Not only is his shot one of the best in the NHL, but one the franchise has been lacking, adding layers to the offensive game because teams have to prioritize Raddysh with his threatening shot.

But saying Raddysh's only weapon is his playmaking is wrong; he showed last season he has phenomenal puck-moving abilities and can actually be a solid playmaking threat from the quarterback spot as well.

Now an argument can be made that he played with superstars in Nikita Kucherov and Brandon Hagel. But he is also going to be playing with some superstars here in Matthews and Nylander.

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