Confirmed Trade: [TOR/TBL] Darren Raddysh (signs 8 years, $8.5M AAV) for 2026 5th round pick (MOD WARNING 253)

[Leaf Fans]

the cap maybe goes up by 20% the next few years, Raddysh will be anchor with contract if he doesn't do what he did this year. You should hope that he doesn't go back to being a 30 point player who's more suspect defensively than Rielly.

Of course. All players should be be better or a least just as good. It's better for them, and better for their teams.

 

[stealth1]

During free agency the Leafs will overpay like every one else.

If any other team gave Raddyish this same deal they would be criticized just as much. T

 

[Leaf Fans]

Have we been watching the same team? It's been an incompetent organization for... Hell, longer than I've been alive.

Well, they are in Utah now and a much better organization.

 

[Buckley]

I agree but this is MLSE. They want that playoff revenue.

Exactly. It's amazing that people aren't seeing the obvious. There is no world in which the Leafs will rebuild. People can argue about whether that is a good thing or not, and I would likely agree with those who argue it is not, but this is the reality of the situation. They will try to win a Cup next year, the year after, and the two or three years after that while they still have Matthews and Nylander under contract. Every move they are making now is designed to achieve that goal.

 

[Leaf Fans]

If any other team gave Raddyish this same deal they would be criticized just as much. T

Maybe, but who cares about criticism?

 

[RSchmitz]

Raddysh is a hell of a player if you let him do what he does best, but if you don’t have an actual plan on how to use him it’s going to back fire and he’s going to look tentative and lost. He’s a guy who NEEDS a system. His point shot is world class, he’s incredibly strong, positioning and playmaking have improved to become strengths once he learned where to be; just don’t expect amazing break out passes and for him to skate like the wind. He’s not EK

He also shouldn’t be asked to shadow elite forwards or block shots on the pk, he needs permission to be aggressive and then he will shine. The best skill he has is he knows exactly how to leverage that shot of his, it’s not just hard, it’s intelligently placed and produces wild rebounds and chaos when it doesn’t go in. He also won’t blindly use it either, he knows how to exploit the fact that other teams will try and take it away from him so he’ll draw guys out of position or cleverly use feints and then skate to soft areas of the ice.

He absolutely can take over a game all on his own on both ends of the rink. One game last season he had two goals, broke up two 2-1’s, and got in a fight after crushing a guy along the boards.

 

[TotalHomer]

Of course. All players should be be better or a least just as good. It's better for them, and better for their teams.

You seem to be throwing around a lot of tautologiea in this thread. And then think you're making a point.
It's a bad contract that could be a disaster from day 1.

 

[Drytoast]

It'll either be a brilliant contract, or the worst one in the league. Raddysh isn't good enough for there to be any in between. Never drafted, first full year in the NHL was at 27, and the only season that put him on any map is his last chance big UFA year as he hits 30. A huge risk, and he can't top out as a 5g/35pt player.

Sir. Nurse says "hi". Rielly is a bad contract with a full no move. All signs are pointing towards him not being a Leaf by puck drop.

Relax.

 

[stealth1]

Maybe, but who cares about criticism?

Many in here do. Anytime it's said that this Raddyish deal isn't great and that he likely doesn't repeat his career year, Leaf fans defend the deal.

 

[sampollock]

Almost as bad as Noah Dobson luckily 1 mill cheaper

Broken thumb
But your right dud not help the habs

 

[Crazy Monkey]

If any other team gave Raddyish this same deal they would be criticized just as much. T

Doubt it. People were posting expecting 10+ million. He signed for much less. Still criticism

I get it. He had one knock out season, but with 2 good seasons before despite limited minutes. The fact is no one truly know how this is going to play out yet. If he transforms the Leafs PP and 5 v 5 play, while still getting 40-50+ points, this is a good signing at least in the short term

 

[Buckley]

Many in here do. Anytime it's said that this Raddyish deal isn't great and that he likely doesn't repeat his career year, Leaf fans defend the deal.

UFA contracts are, by their nature, always going to be dicey contracts because of the age of the player at the time of signing. Like many others, Raddysh's contract will probably be great for a few years, and then not great for a couple of years. It's hardly a big deal. He'll be a 60-70 point defenseman next year simply because of the amount of ice time Toronto will force on him, and getting that production without having to give up any assets is a tremendous win for Toronto and a setback for Tampa Bay. What saves this deal is how much ice time he will get in Toronto, and the quality of the team's power play. It would be a horrible deal if he signed it with a team like Seattle, or even resigned with Tampa assuming a healthy Hedman takes away from Raddysh's minutes, but in this case it should work out well for him and the team in Toronto.

 

[sampollock]

Doubt it. People were posting expecting 10+ million. He signed for much less. Still criticism

I get it. He had one knock out season, but with 2 good seasons before despite limited playing limited minutes. The fact is no one truly know how this is going to play out yet. If he transforms the Leafs PP and 5 v 5 play, while still getting 40-50+ points, this is a good signing at least in the short term

Time will tell

 

[Crazy Monkey]

Time will tell

Exactly. I agree

 

[Metroid]

What do you think MLSE is?

MLSE sucks for being corporate assdicks but they make money, something Phoenix ownership never could do.. also playing in a college arena..... Not the same thing.

 

[PromisedLand]

just putting this right here.....

 

[kevsh]

Marchand was playing at a Conn Smythe level a year ago. As a 5M player I'm pretty sure we'll get a couple of good seasons out of him. Same with Ek. Raddysh could be a total bust immediately from year one.

Yes, because it's quite possible he goes from having one of the hardest shots in the league to bouncing pucks on goal by next year.

Second, at 30 years old he's not at the typical drop-off age where his skating, passing, everything else just falls off a cliff.

And if it does - but he's still got the cannon, drop him to the 3rd pairing, offensive zone deployment, QB PP1 and helping spread the coverage off of Matthews, Nylander and at some point McKenna.

Or you could just read some of the write-ups on him by actual Bolts analysts and fans (the latter right here on this forum) and feel free to contradict their views on him.

 

[Crazy Monkey]

Broken thumb
But your right dud not help the habs

Personally, don't think any Leaf fans are in a position to criticize Montreal's payroll. They signed most of their core young guys to amazing contracts, something Dubas was unfortunately never able to do

Ps i know you weren't the original poster, just continuing the convo

 

[KingsFan7824]

Sir. Nurse says "hi". Rielly is a bad contract with a full no move. All signs are pointing towards him not being a Leaf by puck drop.

Relax.

OK? Are you saying you don't know how time works? Yeah, Nurse's contract is bad, but he's got just the 4 years left, and he'll be 32 in Feb. That's different than Raddysh, who will be 31 in Feb, with 8 years on a deal.

Every year that goes by, the previous worst contracts in the league get a little less terrible(still bad though), while the new crop of full bad contracts are now center stage. It's on the opposite end of the previous star player getting old and being replaced by the fresh new talent scoring 130pts a year.

 

[93gilmour93]

just putting this right here.....

Imagine the birthday bashes they will have in a few years when they play together in the big smoke

 

[KingsFan7824]

Yes, because it's quite possible he goes from having one of the hardest shots in the league to bouncing pucks on goal by next year.

Second, at 30 years old he's not at the typical drop-off age where his skating, passing, everything else just falls off a cliff.

And if it does - but he's still got the cannon, drop him to the 3rd pairing, offensive zone deployment, QB PP1 and helping spread the coverage off of Matthews, Nylander and at some point McKenna.

Or you could just read some of the write-ups on him by actual Bolts analysts and fans (the latter right here on this forum) and feel free to contradict their views on him.

How much success did TB have with him being at what has so far been his best?

Never drafted, broke into the league full time in his late 20's. That he even had a year like he had this year, is incredible. Already trying to go against the odds of playing pro hockey, he doubled down on those rare odds by having a career year at 30, after spending most of his 20's strictly in the AHL. Should've been drafted in what, 2014? Still playing full time junior hockey in 2017.

He's a late bloomer everywhere. Great last year of junior, turning 21 during the season. Great last year in the AHL, at 27. One crazy great year so far in the NHL, at 30. He got to go to the AHL after junior. He got to go to the NHL after the AHL. There's not a higher level to graduate to, but he did get his kids life altering money. If the Leafs end up with a 3rd pair d-man who can sometimes get a puck on net if he's sheltered on an 8 year deal, they're not going to win anything.

 

[FlareKnight]

I know the discussion is "points, points, and points" but there are multiple reasons the Leafs made this move. It wasn't just "I expect 70+ points every year." Guys that can move the puck well were very much needed on that team. Restoring the Leafs transition game was a major need. The shot from the point isn't just for Raddysh's own benefit. That opens up the offense for the forwards both on the PP and 5 on 5.

The points matter and obviously the team hopes he'll still provide plenty of those. But beyond just points he filled a need and the Leafs got ahead of the market.

We could see the crazy ideas on the first page of this one. 10/11+ million per year stuff. 8.5 is still a lot of money. But it's not what it could've been and it is getting ahead of and taking advantage of the rising cap. UFA signings are risky because generally these guys are older. But it's not a move without sense to it.

 

[WetcoastOrca]

I know the discussion is "points, points, and points" but there are multiple reasons the Leafs made this move. It wasn't just "I expect 70+ points every year." Guys that can move the puck well were very much needed on that team. Restoring the Leafs transition game was a major need. The shot from the point isn't just for Raddysh's own benefit. That opens up the offense for the forwards both on the PP and 5 on 5.

The points matter and obviously the team hopes he'll still provide plenty of those. But beyond just points he filled a need and the Leafs got ahead of the market.

We could see the crazy ideas on the first page of this one. 10/11+ million per year stuff. 8.5 is still a lot of money. But it's not what it could've been and it is getting ahead of and taking advantage of the rising cap. UFA signings are risky because generally these guys are older. But it's not a move without sense to it.

$10 million a year was based on a max 7 year deal. $8.5 million for 8 years is almost the same.

 

[River Meadow]

Almost as bad as Noah Dobson luckily 1 mill cheaper

Checkmate

 

[notbias]

the cap maybe goes up by 20% the next few years, Raddysh will be anchor with contract if he doesn't do what he did this year. You should hope that he doesn't go back to being a 30 point player who's more suspect defensively than Rielly.

If he does what he did this year, then he is a steal and being underpaid... this is what people seem to miss in this thread, he is not being paid like a PPG 20G D.

He was also a good 2nd pairing D before getting the opportunity to be a 1D, so going back to that, he is now slightly overpaid, not the end of the world.