Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh has been one of the most sought-after players heading into free agency. The 30-year-old is coming off a breakout season in which he established himself as one of the NHL’s top offensive defensemen. As his production continued to climb, it became increasingly unlikely that the Lightning would be able to keep him in Tampa. In the early hours of Friday morning, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs are working with the Lightning on a sign-and-trade agreement that would send Raddysh to Toronto. Raddysh recorded 22 goals and 70 points in 2025-26 while posting a plus-21 rating and averaging 22:42 of ice time per game. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Originally signed by Tampa Bay as a free agent on July 28, 2021, Raddysh developed into a key piece of the Lightning blue line. In 249 career games with the organization, he compiled 35 goals and 108 assists for 143 points.
