The Toronto Maple Leafs new GM, whoever that person may be, will have to be wary of which player the organization pursues for next season.
One of the hottest names to potentially hit the free-agent market is current Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh. Raddysh will be a highly sought-after name this offseason, given the thin free agent market.
With the Maple Leafs looking to shore up the roster amid a purported retool, it makes sense that Toronto would be looking to add someone like Raddysh.
An insider, Elliotte Friedman noted, the Leafs are certainly looking to get into the mix for the 30-year-old blueliner.
On the surface, that makes sense. But there are two things Toronto needs to worry about.
The first thing is that Raddysh is actually hitting free agency. It’s certainly plausible that the Lightning will do everything they can to re-sign him. And Raddysh may go ahead and re-sign to avoid the entire mess of free agency.
But if he wants to get paid, and he will get paid on the open market, that could unleash the second thing: A bidding war among teams looking to land the undrafted blueliner.
That’s where the Maple Leafs have to be wary. They can’t afford to get into a bidding war over a guy who isn’t exactly a proven commodity.
Raddysh Looking to Cash in on a Career Year
How many times have guys come out of nowhere, have a career season during a contract year, and then regress to their averages?
That’s the major risk with Raddysh. It seems like he put everything together this season. He went from a career high of six goals to 22. He doubled his point total from 37 to 70 this season.
That’s what the Maple Leafs need to keep in mind. This season was essentially an outlier for Raddysh. All too often, good players have great seasons, cash in, and then never live up to the deal.
Even if the Leafs were gung-ho about getting Raddysh, they’ll face a tough challenge in luring him away from Tampa. They’ll have to pay up to land him. That proposition could be a highly risky one.
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Maple Leafs Should Sign Raddysh for the Right Price
The Maple Leafs should sign Raddysh for the right price. Then again, that’s what every organization says. In Toronto’s case, the right price could be a two- or three-year deal in the $5 million range.
Some might think there’s no way Raddysh is going to settle for that sort of deal. Fair enough, he’s earned the right to dictate his terms.
But from a purely business perspective, the Maple Leafs’ new GM can’t start their tenure off with boneheaded decisions based on the perceived need to do something. The Leafs’ next GM doesn’t have to do anything at this point.
That’s the advantage of working with a clean slate. The next Toronto GM could just sit back and sidestep the free agency carnage. They could try instead to look for solid players on value deals. That way, if the 2026-27 season goes ca-ca, the Maple Leafs would have pieces they could flip at the deadline.
It’s not the sexiest plan, but it’s one that teams on the cusp of a rebuild have to keep in mind.
Maple Leafs New GM Must Be Wary of Raddysh in Free Agency