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

[Bozo Nicholson]

I love a good mod warning!

 

[WetcoastOrca]

It can only be high risk if you have something to lose. The leafs have nothing to lose with this deal. More cap room than they’ll likely be able to spend.

I swear I read the same thing when Clarkson and Finger signed. The cap increase applies to every team. The teams that manage the cap the best will have a huge advantage over those that need to deal with bad contracts.
This is extremely high risk for a team that will be spending to the cap as the Leafs always do.

 

[Smif]

Toronto has managed to seal a deal that makes the Jeff Finger contract look reasonable by comparison.

I love that you hate this.

 

[Smif]

I swear I read the same thing when Clarkson and Finger signed. The cap increase applies to every team. The teams that manage the cap the best will have a huge advantage over those that need to deal with bad contracts.
This is extremely high risk for a team that will be spending to the cap as the Leafs always do.

Zero chance you read this for the Jeff Finger signing. Zero.

I would say try harder but you really should just pack it in.

 

[Oleksiak]

Yeah I’m sure the guy that says he would be honoured to play for Toronto, won’t report . This isn’t the Canucks or something here. It’s a real franchise.

Was this quote from before or after the Leafs hired someone who should be working at Wendy's to run the team? The Canucks at least have management with an understanding of the sport and their own 1st rounders for the next two years.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Let's go down that path. Matthews when "healthy" is clearly playing hampered, Hiller completely bombs as a coach, and the Leaf's continue to be a train wreck. As a result, Leaf's end up at the bottom of the Atlantic and give a top 10 pick to BOS (or PHI). They then decide to rebuild, move short term assets at the TDL and move AM and WN summer of 2027 and rebuild around Knies, McKenna and whatever they get back. By moving AM then, he can sign a new deal with where he's traded so he probably has slightly more value than he does right now. WN's value doesn't go down with still have something like 5 years left on his deal. As a result, the Leafs are no worse off than if they decided to rebuild this summer. If they go down that path, the Leafs are doing a tear down rebuild and they're accepting 5+ years of pain and DR's contract isn't a hindrance from the team doing anything.

The only way this is a MAJOR mistake is if the Leafs are good, but Raddysh is terrible and his contract keeps the team from doing what is necessary to get over the top. I think that's unlikely, because Raddysh was a decent 2nd pair d-man before his career year, and I don't see a situation where everything goes well like AM is back to his old self, Hiller get the team playing well, goaltending is solid, and Raddysh is the only thing that holds the team back.

Quick Summary:
Positive view: Leafs bounce back and are at least a bubble team in the murder's row Atlantic. 1st rounder DP surrendered to PHI/BOS is somewhere between 14-19 and the team has at least a punchers chance.

Negative view: 2025-26 performance continues - and the Leafs have to blow it up. Raddysh contract doesn't hurt them at all in this situation.

I think its a mistake of a signing due to 8x, Id be happy if it was shorter term, 4x then 100% on board. I think this is going to cost us down the road and its not worth it. I wanted Andersson not Raddysh

Ill just have to see him do well to be happy about it. and Ill jump on here and update the thread admitting Im wrong.

 

[Nothingbutglass]

Was this quote from before or after the Leafs hired someone who should be working at Wendy's to run the team? The Canucks at least have management with an understanding of the sport and their own 1st rounders for the next two years.

He manages Wendy's sir

 

[TheKrebsCycle]

- he kinda did in 20-21 scoring 16 goals and 36 points and a +27 in only 56 games
- who cares, he's probably gone next year

53 pt pace is the same as a 79 pt one ? He came in at a much lower number than most expected ( 10 plus seemed to be the consensus ) . The term isn’t great but with the cap exploding 8.5 might be peanuts in 8 years. I think he and McCabe should make a really good pairing . Rielly ( hopefully) out and Raddysh in is a substantial plus

 

[Golden_Jet]

Too much risk with that term.

 

[Smif]

Was this quote from before or after the Leafs hired someone who should be working at Wendy's to run the team? The Canucks at least have management with an understanding of the sport and their own 1st rounders for the next two years.

Can't wait to watch you guys draft Malhotra over Stenberg. It'll be Strome over Marner 2.0

 

[pth2]

It can only be high risk if you have something to lose. The leafs have nothing to lose with this deal. More cap room than they’ll likely be able to spend.

8 years. 8.
Think how much has changed on your team since 2018.
That's a long time to have a contract slot used, major cap room consumed, and a roster spot filled, even if he regresses to AHL level in 4 years.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

53 pt pace is the same as a 79 pt one ? He came in at a much lower number than most expected ( 10 plus seemed to be the consensus ) . The term isn’t great but with the cap exploding 8.5 might be peanuts in 8 years. I think he and McCabe should make a really good pairing . Rielly ( hopefully) out and Raddysh in is a substantial plus

Is Tanev expected back? Or do you anticipate breaking up the Tanev/McCabe pairing?

 

[Artaud]

It can only be high risk if you have something to lose. The leafs have nothing to lose with this deal. More cap room than they’ll likely be able to spend.

If the cap is not an issue and contracts don't matter, why didn't the Leafs extend their best player instead of shipping him to Vegas, where he was instrumental to making the finals?

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Was this quote from before or after the Leafs hired someone who should be working at Wendy's to run the team? The Canucks at least have management with an understanding of the sport and their own 1st rounders for the next two years.

Oh man their drafting his been stellar. Good thing they have those picks!

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

Is Tanev expected back? Or do you anticipate breaking up the Tanev/McCabe pairing?

From what I’m seeing, Tanev is back to 100%!

 

[Strangle]

Done deal. The board needs more of this. Ppl like to run their mouths but won’t put their balls on the line when it comes down to it

I totally agree with you, I like accountability and when I’m wrong don’t mind being called out on it.

But I also like to call out others who are confidently wrong lol

 

[Beville]

I’ve seen the Leafs do this before;

David Clarkson anyone?

 

[WetcoastOrca]

If the cap is not an issue and contracts don't matter, why didn't the Leafs extend their best player instead of shipping him to Vegas, where he was instrumental to making the finals?

You’re wasting your breath. Some people don’t understand how the cap works to separate smart GM’s from the rest of the pack.

 

[superstars]

major success. Radysh completely transforms the blue line. if Matthews can return to 90% then Toronto will be contenders again this year

 

[Strangle]

We don't even know McKenna would report. Wouldn't blame him for staying in school and avoiding that tire fire altogether.

Oh boy now we have people saying McKenna will refuse to play for the leafs

What’s wrong with you people? (Don’t don cherry me for saying you people)

 

[Strangle]

8 years. 8.
Think how much has changed on your team since 2018.
That's a long time to have a contract slot used, major cap room consumed, and a roster spot filled, even if he regresses to AHL level in 4 years.

Robida island

 

[34]

The leafs could trade a seventh round pick in 2050 for McDavid and it would still get scrutinized to hell by all of you Toronto haters on here.

This is a very good D man who is going to significantly help the leafs moving forward.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Having cap room is not a reason to waste it. Those last seasons will be McKenna's prime, when cap room will be at a premium to try and build a champion.

I would agree if the TML had much a loaded talent pipeline. With the lottery luck they're in a difficult situation where McKenna is going to be the only potential "blue-chip" asset added to the pipeline in probably a 7 year stretch between 2021 (Knies added in 2021 giving him the benefit of doubt) to TOR's next "own" first round DP in 2029 (assuming some sort of rebuild). I struggle to see how 2031-34 (last 3 years of DR's contract) are going to be serious contender years for the TML based on the age of their current roster and talent pipeline. Maybe the Leaf's rebuild and get a huge haul for AM/WN and I'm eating crow. Time will tell.

 

[KniesMadeBradyCry]

If the cap is not an issue and contracts don't matter, why didn't the Leafs extend their best player instead of shipping him to Vegas, where he was instrumental to making the finals?

So I realize you’re probably uninformed like 90% of the posters here but:

1) the leafs offered him the biggest contract in franchise history

2) the leafs tried to trade him to Carolina for Rantanen and he wouldn’t waive his NTC.

3) Marner did what we thought he would do when it mattered.

 

[Strangle]

I didn’t realize how much of a leaf fan raddysh actually is.

This guy really is one of us!!!