Maple Leafs’ Darren Raddysh breaks silence on joining hometown team

The landscape of the NHL was shaken up in a major way this offseason with some big-time trades, none more notable that the deal that sent Ottawa Senators star Brady Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers to play with his brother, Matthew. However, one of the deals that is flying a bit under the radar is the trade that sent Tampa Bay Lighting defenseman Darren Raddysh to the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Raddysh has quietly become one of the top defensemen in hockey in recent years, and that was shown in the contract extension he got from Toronto after the trade. Raddysh got an eight-year deal from the Maple Leafs worth $8.5 million per year to anchor the Toronto back line in the coming years.

It’s also a homecoming for Raddysh in Toronto. The Ontario native is going to be playing at home in Toronto for the first time next season, and he talked about what that means to him with Sportsnet recently.

“It means the world.”

Darren Raddysh on playing for his hometown Maple Leafs. pic.twitter.com/RWg2aTuC3g

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 22, 2026

“It means the world,” Raddysh said. “My brother and I grew up being Leafs fans, we would go with our dad to watch the games. To be able to put that jersey on and be able to play in front of the home fans, it’s awesome. A lot of friends and family have already texted me and are excited, and I’m super excited as well to be joining the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

Raddysh has played a major role for the Lighting over the last three seasons in particular, and he has been an ultra-reliable contributor for one of the best franchises in hockey. He has only missed 18 games in the last two years and has 140 points during that time.

The 30-year old had a career year in 2025-26 with 22 goals and 70 points for a Lighting team that cruised to a playoff spot. The Leafs are hoping that he brings similar production from the back line to Toronto this season as they look to rebound from a disappointing season and get back to contending in the Eastern Conference.

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