The Toronto Maple Leafs have had an action-packed week, with Friday morning’s acquisition of star defenceman Darren Raddysh somehow trumping the surprise of both Monday’s trade involving Joseph Woll and Wednesday’s hiring of Jim Hiller as head coach.

With Raddysh set to be one of if not the biggest name on this summer’s free agent market, the Leafs expedited their interest in him and traded a fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft to the Tampa Bay Lightning to get him. With Victor Hedman sidelined for the majority of the 2025-26 season, Raddysh had an incredible breakout year, scoring 22 goals and adding 48 assists for 70 points in 73 games. Immediately following the trade, the 30-year-old inked an eight-year extension worth $8.5 million annually.

Speaking to media via Zoom on Friday afternoon, Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka revealed that, despite Raddysh being a late bloomer, his belief in the defenceman goes back to his junior days.

“I think Darren is a unique case,” Chayka told reporters. “I was able to track him through his time in Erie, we had Dylan Strome there when I was with the Coyotes, so I was able to see Darren firsthand in practice or around the rinks in games. He was always a very talented player…performed really well, he was a big part of that club.”

The fact that his breakout came at age 29 will serve as a red flag to some, which Chayka acknowledged, but reiterated his belief that it wasn’t just a flash in the pan and that he’ll be able to sustain his ability to impact games.

“He’s certainly a late bloomer in terms of offensive production. I think for us, we really saw his career as a continual progression, and while from a points perspective, it was a large jump, we had a lot of confidence that the fundamentals in his game had consistently improved.”

The Leafs’ aggressiveness through the early stages of Chayka’s tenure has been on full display over the past month, with two trades, one firing and one hiring, and it’s a seismic shift from the way Brad Treliving operated in his first month, and really, his entire time as GM. But with Auston Matthews two years away from an expiring deal, the team fresh off missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade and now granted the opportunity to select Gavin McKenna first overall, there’s a growing appetite to take risks like this, and Chayka knows it.

“For us, it’s an aggressive move. It’s not without risk, of course, but we just felt that given the stage we’re at, and what he brings to the table, we felt it was worth pursuing.”