One of the biggest needs for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season has been, and will continue to be, a big-shot, power-play quarterback for the blueline. The franchise has really lacked a true puck-moving, offensive defenseman for the past several years. Morgan Rielly used to be that, in a way, but he has been on the decline for a few seasons now.
Insider Nick Kypreos is telling everyone who’ll listen that the Buds might have found their man, right inside their own division. Now they just have to go out and get him somehow.
Darren Raddysh has had a surprising breakout season with the Tampa Bay Lightning this year, racking up 17 goals and 52 points in 49 games. He’s averaging five+ minutes of ice time more per night than he did last season. He has a plus/minus rating of +17 and has established himself as a top-pairing defenseman for the first-place Lightning.
He’s also Toronto-born, and he’s a pending UFA.
Kypreos writes in The Toronto Star, “If there is a team that needs him more than Toronto, please let me know. He’s a right-handed shot with a bomb and would be a perfect upgrade for an ongoing issue on their power-play.”
Raddysh’s underlying stats pop off the page this season
Raddysh leads the NHL in shots taken over 90 mph: He has 62, while Evan Bouchard is second, at… 39. The Bolts’ big man also is the runaway leader in ‘one-timer goals’ this season, with 12. In second spot is Simon Nemec of the New Jersey Devils, at just half that many, with six. Raddysh also has six power-play goals and ranks in the 99th percentile in shot speed.
Kypreos went even further in linking Raddysh to the Leafs on the Real Kyper & Bourne show on Sportsnet:
What will happen is that you move Morgan out, and you go sign Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning. As far as I’m concerned, it’s already done. It’s already done. Oh, come on. Toronto boy, he’s got a bomb of a shot, which you haven’t had in years. It’s done.
There are a few flies in the ointment that would need to be worked out first, of course.
Rielly has a full no-move clause, and up until now, he hasn’t been so keen to waive it. Additionally, the 31-year-old still has four years to run on a $7.5 million cap hit. Leafs GM Brad Treliving won’t exactly be having his door knocked down from teams rushing to take that on.
And as for signing Raddysh, that would be on the presumption that Tampa Bay doesn’t step in first and sign him to a big extension.
How much would Darren Raddysh command in free agency?
The pending unrestricted free agent will be coming off an elite season if he makes it to free agency July 1. What could the soon-to-be 30-year-old command on the open market? He has yet to crack the million-dollar mark in AAV in his five seasons in the league. No doubt he’ll be looking for a massive raise. But Kypreos thinks it should still be a digestible cap hit.
“What’s he gonna cost?” Kypper asked his co-host Justin Bourne. “He’s 29, so that helps you. I don’t know, $5M, $6M a year?” was Bourne’s response. “Ok. No problem. All day long,” said Kypreos.
Even if the Leafs retain a few million on Rielly, that’s definitely affordable.
What isn’t affordable for the Leafs is for them to go into yet another season next year without a power play quarterback and a puck-moving talent. Someone like Raddysh.
