The Leafs gave Darren Raddysh $8.5 million and his 5 on 5 game is the part that stands out

Darren Raddysh got a huge payday from the Maple Leafs to the tune of $8.5-million per year, though if you look at his 5v5 numbers you can see why they paid that much.

The Toronto Maple Leafs paid a lot of money for Darren Raddysh although it only cost them a fifth-round pick, so it does balance out a bit. He gets his payday that he was looking for and Toronto gets the exact piece they need to be competitive again while also giving their blueline a heavy overhaul.

Adding Raddysh is a big gamble for sure given that he's a late bloomer but he really only has three full seasons under his belt, and if he's about to reach his peak over the next few seasons then the Maple Leafs are in really good hands on the blueline.

But he's someone who adds an incredibly heavy shot and a threat on the point which is something the Maple Leafs haven't had in nearly two decades. It's always been a more pass-heavy system when it comes to offence on the blueline and Raddysh fills a serious hole, and there's always a chance it can go wrong.

Darren Raddysh's more than just a heavy-shot defenceman and Toronto's about to find out why

Though what if it goes right?

Taking a look at Raddysh's numbers on the outside, you see a guy with a powerful shot and great instincts, but you also need to take a little bit of a deeper dive and you can start to see why Raddysh might be exactly what Toronto needs:

-

The guy absolutely loves shooting the puck and his ability to fire the puck on net will only benefit Toronto. They have big bodies like Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews to set screens and cause havoc, and when you have a guy who can reach 100 MPH on his shot - that leaves goalies little room for error.

But it's his ability to exit the zone that should excite fans, and his 5v5 numbers this past season were pretty impressive given that he's a defenceman. He had a 56.8 CF% and 55.8 FF% which is great for a forward let alone a defender.

He also had a 61.6 CF% in all situations which means that his team controlled the puck over 60% of the time he was on the ice. Granted, the Lightning have their fair share of stars, but looking at those previous numbers he's also able to control the pace at any given time.

That is a facet of the offence Toronto hasn't had in a long time and it'll give Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, John Tavares, Easton Cowan and presumably Gavin McKenna all a brand new weapon on the point who not only can get them the puck, but keep it on his stick.

Raddysh's biggest impact will come where Toronto was their weakest

It's the man advantage though that Raddysh is going to help with immensely. 26 of his 70 points were on the power-play however it was the fact he had 10 goals which is what's really the killer here. Toronto has lacked someone who fires it from the point and for a guy who can hit 100 MPH - that's dangerous.

He's also going to have a litany of playmakers at his disposal too. Auston Matthews is no slouch, neither is Matthew Knies. Add in John Tavares/Easton Cowan and Gavin McKenna into the mix? You now have five players who can all get Raddysh the puck when he wants.

If McKenna's ceiling is to be Nikita Kucherov, then all you have to do is realize what Kucherov and Raddysh did in 2025-26 for Tampa Bay and you get start to get excited. Kucherov had 29 assists on the PP and accounted for 39 goals for and only 5 against alongside Raddysh.

McKenna and Raddysh could be the next deadly duo where McKenna uses his craftiness to open up space and find an open Raddysh for a blistering one-timer. It's a dynamic Toronto hasn't had in the Auston Matthews era and could be a huge factor in pushing them into the next level.

With Jim Hiller now able to figure out a perfect lineup alongside a new coaching staff he's gotten himself the one piece that may bring everything together. Sure it cost a lot, but Raddysh is player we've never seen in the Matthews era. Literally.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
The Darren Raddysh signing fixes a problem Brandon Carlo has been dealing with