The Toronto Maple Leafs Have Zero Intentions Of A Rebuild, Pull Off An 8-year, $8.5M AAV Sign-And-Trade For Darren Raddysh
Icon Sportswire. Getty Images.The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a very unique spot. Most of the time when a team lands the #1 pick in the draft, it's because the team is abysmal. The Leafs were bad last year, but they're not an awful team. They just had one really bad year, and the NHL was able to find a way for them to magically land Gavin McKenna in the draft lottery. Usually teams land the #1 pick in the draft, and then they go through a rebuilding process where they build the team around that player in hopes they can compete for a Stanley Cup in a few years.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will not be building around Gavin McKenna. Instead, they're hoping that he will be the final piece of the puzzle to push them over the top. Because why else would you go out and pull off a sign-and-trade for Darren Raddysh at 8-years, $8.5M AAV if you aren't trying to win a Cup next year?
Raddysh just had an unbelievable season for Tampa. 28 goals and 42 assists on the year. One of the heaviest bombs from the point, and a great weapon to have on the powerplay. It was a career year for Darren Raddysh, and it's not even close. The most points he's had in a season before last year was 37. In fact, his 70 points last year was the same amount if you combined his totals from 2023-24 and 2024-25. Is he a player who is trending in the direction of greatness, or did he just have a crazy year? I guess the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to take an 8-year risk to find out.
Now it's not like the Leafs had to give up much to get this deal done. They gave up a 5th round pick, and then honestly it seems like they could have gotten Raddysh at a discounted price to play for his hometown Leafs. There is absolutely a team out there who would have given him $9-9.5M. So it's not a horrible signing by Toronto at all. But now it puts them in a spot where they can't afford to rebuild around Gavin McKenna.
John Chayka made his first trade with the Flyers earlier in the week for Sam Ersson and Emil Andrae. Now he brings in Darren Raddysh. They're clearly loading up to get back into the Stanley Cup conversation. Which could be a brutal spot to bring a young superstar into. Toronto is already the most deranged market in hockey. We saw Gavin McKenna have a bit of a slow-ish start making the jump to NCAA hockey. Imagine if he doesn't come flying out of the gates right away? Toronto fans are looking at this kid to be a savior, the team is loading up to contend for a Cup, and he doesn't have any time to develop his game at this level. Good luck!