Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh finished the regular season with a career-best 22 goals and 70 points, setting a franchise record for goals by a defenseman. He wasn’t just one of the best blueliners on his team this season, he was recognized among the league's top defensemen. The NHL announced Tuesday that Zach Werenski was named the Norris Trophy winner, with Cale Makar finishing second and Rasmus Dahlin third. Raddysh [https://www.nhl.com/lightning/player/darren-raddysh-8478178] finished 11th in voting after receiving one third-place vote, two fourth-place votes and three fifth-place votes. Raddysh, who has spent the last four seasons with the Lightning, is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. During the team’s end-of-season media availability, he expressed his appreciation for the organization but offered no indication about whether a new contract might be on the horizon. “I can’t say anything bad about this organization. It’s given me everything that I’ve always wanted to do in my life,” said Raddysh. “The business side, I think will take some time.” With the salary cap increasing by $8.5 million next season, the Lightning have room to make an offer, but Raddysh is expected to draw interest from around the league if he reaches free agency. “The type of season he just had was not on the radar for us,” said Lightning GM Julien BriseBois. “He stepped up big time when we needed him to this year.” The Lightning are projected to have roughly $12.3 million in cap space for the 2026-27 season. They also need to re-sign Nikita Kucherov, who is eligible for an extension as early as July 1 ahead of his 2027 free agency.
