Report: Leafs working on sign-and-trade for Lightning’s Darren Raddysh
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are working on a sign-and-trade deal that involves defenseman Darren Raddysh, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared on social media.
Late-night news: Don’t expect this to be finalized until the morning, but there is word the Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning are working on a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh. The 30-year-old defenceman had a breakthrough 2025-26 with 22 goals and 70 points
The report, which came at 1:46 a.m. ET early Friday, said “don’t expect this to be finalized until the morning.”
Raddysh set career highs with the Lightning in 2025-26, finishing with 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points, averaging 22:42 of ice time in 73 regular-season games. He was tied for second among NHL defenders in goals, 11th in assists and sixth in points last season.
His 22 goals in 2025-26 broke the Lightning single-season franchise record.
🚨 RADDYSH TO TORONTO? The Leafs and Lightning are reportedly discussing a sign-and-trade. Thoughts? 👇
The 30-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1. In Daily Faceoff managing editor Matt Larkin’s top 50 NHL UFAs of 2026, Raddysh was ranked No. 2.
“Raddysh has never even earned $1 million in a season. His next contract will be a true life-changer, so Tampa’s offer will have to be significant in dollars and term to keep him from going to market,” Larkin wrote. “Why wouldn’t you if you were Raddysh?
Last month, Larkin came up with a list of puck-moving defenders the Leafs could target in the offseason, writing this about Raddysh:
“He’s a Toronto native who’d give the Leafs quite an offensive lift, particularly with his blistering shot, but it goes without saying how risky it would be to pay a 30-year-old for a career year,” Larkin said.
Across parts of five NHL seasons, the Toronto native has 35 goals and 108 assists for 143 points in 249 career regular-season games. He also has two goals and two assists for four points in 20 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Before Raddysh first played in the NHL in 2021-22, he played in the American Hockey League for six seasons, where he recorded 42 goals and 129 assists for 171 points in 339 regular-season games with the Syracuse Crunch, Hartford Wolf Pack and Rockford IceHogs.