On Friday, a pretty massive deal took place. Darren Raddysh, 30, was traded from the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Bigger yet, though, was that Raddysh signed an eight-year deal with the Leafs, with an annual value of about $8 million. This means that the Maple Leafs, who many thought might be rebuilding, are not rebuilding at all, and just spent 64 million on a defender.
The Maple Leafs are looking to win right now
With Toronto receiving the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, much speculation emerged about the franchise's new state. Some thought the Maple Leafs would be much more comfortable trading away some of their superstars, since they would get elite talent in the draft. Auston Matthews was a big question mark after a down season and was also injured at the end of the season. One potential suitor for Matthews could have been the Utah Mammoth, considering that Matthews is from Arizona and the Mammoth, more importantly, have a lot of assets.
However, the Leafs shut down every rumor about a big trade of Matthews or anyone else on Friday. By trading for a defender and, more importantly, signing him to an eight-year deal, the team is clearly not rebuilding. The Maple Leafs aren't really going to surprise anyone with this news, though, as the team has constantly tried to win. And to be honest, it isn't a bad idea to add a talent like Gavin McKenna to a team full of veterans. Sooner or later, the Maple Leafs can definitely compete for a Stanley Cup.
Utah must look elsewhere for big talent
With such news, the Mammoth, who are probably going to be active in the trade market, are going to have to look elsewhere. The Leafs have a lot of talent that could have been interesting, but that doesn't mean there aren't others for Utah to trade for. The Mammoth reportedly has interest in a Detroit Red Wing goalie, and of course, is still in the mix for a superstar. The superstar is Dylan Larkin, who can absolutely change the Mammoth. One thing is probably certain- the Mammoth is going to make a major trade.
The NHL free agent class is very weak, so trading for a player may be the only way to make a massive improvement. There are going to be more trades than usual this offseason. Hopefully, the Mammoth recognize this and trade for someone big and important enough to make the team into a juggernaut.
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