Toronto's new deal for Darren Raddysh is going to turn a lot of heads

Toronto acquired Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade which brought him over on an 8-year, $68-million contract and for some fans that may turn a lot of heads.

On Friday morning Elliotte Friedman revealed the Maple Leafs were working on a sign-and-trade for defenceman Darren Raddysh and only a few hours later, that trade came to fruition. All it cost was a 2026 5th-round pick and now the Toronto blueline has the killer instinct it's lacked for years.

But questions about what he is going to cost was a big talking point, with reports that the Tampa Bay Lightning offered him a 5-year, $5.75-million AAV deal however it was also reported he was looking for nearly $9-million per season; a fair distance between the two parties.

Well, we know what it's going to cost Toronto and it may give fans a lot of pause initially given how expensive it is.

Raddysh's 8-year deal is going to make Maple Leafs fans nervous given their history

The contract Raddysh signed was for 8-years, $68-million which comes out to an $8.5-million AAV until he's 39 years old. That would immediately give fans a headache and anxiety attack knowing that they were paying through the nose for a defender who is 30 years old - especially with Morgan Rielly still around.

There's no doubt that he adds a new dynamic to the power-play and finally gives the Maple Leafs a point threat who can actually shoot and isn't afraid to let it fly. Fans should be excited but it's completely valid why they'd have a thought or two before jumping on the Raddysh bandwagon.

But if you look a little deeper, it doesn't actually turn out to hurt them that badly.

The contract right now is going to have an $8.5-million cap hit but when the salary cap increases in a couple of seasons, then it's going to appreciate. While it's not a huge savings, it's roughly a $6.59-million cap hit once the salary cap hits $113.5-million in 2028.

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That's really not too bad for a player who is going to add something the team has lacked for years, who is also able to bring solid to above average defence.

Raddysh's deal appreciates plus it looks like Toronto has an out anyways

Raddysh had 22 goals and 70 points this past season, a huge increase from his 31-point season in 2024-25. That alone would increase his price as it's rare to find a defenceman who scores 20 goals, but he also added 69 blocks and 67 hits, with a plus-21 while averaging 22:42 TOI.

He was a minutes cruncher, played in every situation, will still sacrifice his body for the sake of the team, and averaged 97.72 MPH on his shot; good for the 97th percentile in the entire league. He lets it fly and he's deadly accurate.

But from looking at Puckpedia, the contract Raddysh signed doesn't involve any trade protection so if the Maple Leafs needed to deal him away for whatever reason (regression, unfit for the lineup) then it won't be as hard to find a suitor.

We'll have to wait and see how the fit goes however, as we still need to see which pieces are coming in that couple complement Raddysh. But if this past season was an indicator of what the Maple Leafs are getting then oh boy, they got themselves one of the most dangerous defenders in the game.

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The Maple Leafs are closing in on a sign-and-trade to land Darren Raddysh