Three NHL Players Who Could Be Next Season's Darren Raddysh

Darren Raddysh was one of the NHL's best stories from this past season. The right-shot defenseman, who turned 30 in February, surprised many by having a dominant breakout year. 

In 73 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Raddysh set career highs with 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points. With numbers like these, he was one of the NHL's top offensive defensemen and landed a big eight-year, $68 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs through a sign-and-trade. 

Now, with the 2026-27 season almost here, let's take a look at three not-so-young NHL players who could have surprisingly big seasons like Raddysh did this past campaign. 

While Ryan Shea did not have the same kind of monster season that Raddysh had in 2025-26, he still had a big campaign. After years of being a depth defenseman, Shea not only cemented himself a spot on the Pittsburgh Penguins' blueline this past season, but also became one of their key blueliners. In 80 games, the 29-year-old set career highs with six goals, 29 assists, 35 points, and a plus-30 rating.

Shea was rewarded for his strong season, as he signed a five-year, $20 million contract with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency. Now, after joining the Oilers, it is fair to wonder if Shea could take his game to another new level this season. 

Shea is going to have the opportunity to play with some big-time superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in Edmonton. If he gets chances on their power play, it could lead to the Milton, Mass., native producing more offense from the point this year. 

Could Parker Wotherspoon build off his career year? Like Shea, the soon-to-be 29-year-old defenseman had an impressive breakout season with the Penguins in 2025-26. In 80 games with Pittsburgh, he set new career highs with three goals and 27 assists for 30 points. This was after he had seven points in 55 games with the Boston Bruins in 2024-25. 

It's also worth mentioning that Wotherspoon had a solid stint for Team Canada at the 2026 World Championship, scoring four points in 10 contests.

Wotherspoon was traded by the Penguins to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this off-season, and it is fair to wonder if the change of scenery could benefit him. Like Shea in Edmonton, Wotherspoon will have plenty of star talent around him in Vegas. 

While some may argue that Wotherspoon could be a regression candidate, his strong all-around play with Pittsburgh makes him an intriguing player to watch in 2026-27. Maybe there could be another level there. 

Sam Malinski took a big step forward for the Colorado Avalanche this past season. After posting 15 points in 76 games with Colorado in 2024-25, the right-shot defenseman set new career highs with eight goals and 32 assists for 40 points in 82 games. 

While Malinski just turned 28 in July, he is a player who could very well hit another new level with Colorado next season. Keep in mind that this past season was only his third year in the NHL.

Malinski has shown that he has the potential to produce offense from the point. But could he have a Raddysh-like breakout year in 2026-27? His numbers from 2025-26 are similar to what Raddysh's were in 2023-24. 

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