The ideal defensive partner for Darren Raddysh seems like an easy exercise. It’s Jake McCabe. Now we can move on. The problem is that Jake McCabe seems to be the ideal defensive partner for Chris Tanev. And Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And Morgan Rielly. And Troy Stecher. Probably Emil Andrae. If the Toronto Maple Leafs like Ben Danford in camp, why not see what he can do with Jake McCabe?

The potential overreliance on Jake McCabe as the answer to the ideal defensive partner on the Maple Leafs is the issue with Toronto’s blueline depth. There is still work to be done, and Zach Werenski would have been a great solution. He would have been a great answer to “who will be Darren Raddysh’s partner this season?”

The first question needs to be: what has worked in the past for Darren Raddysh?

The easiest answer there is J.J. Moser, the 25-year-old 5v5 minute-eating defenceman who plays tight positional hockey and demonstrates competence at both ends of the ice. Great scouting or a lot of luck brought him into the mix from Arizona. Along with Raddysh, they both experienced the next level of their games last season. It should be noted that their coach won the Jack Adams, and their goaltender won the Vezina. Both of these things can help make defencemen look great.

Another thing that can help a defenceman out is playing with a Norris-calibre or at least former Norris-calibre partner. That was the case for much of the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, when Raddysh played with Victor Hedman. Hedman might have taken a step back due to injuries in 2025-26, but in the previous two seasons, he was still in contention for the top defenceman award. Like Moser, Hedman’s game is well-rounded, and he can be trusted at both ends of the ice. Prime Hedman is unquestionably a step above Moser, but it is important to factor in that Raddysh’s success came with partners that can make him better or keep up. The Maple Leafs will want their next best defenceman with Raddysh. That seems to be Jake McCabe.

Something worth considering is that Jake McCabe is not on Hedman’s or Moser’s level. His game is also different and more physical. He doesn’t have the offensive attributes of either of Raddysh’s former partners. He’s a good defenceman and a minute eater, but potentially there is someone who fits with Raddysh’s style of play better and can also eat minutes.

Oliver Ekman-Larsson’s style of play mirrors what Raddysh is used to. It requires Ekman-Larsson jumping up the lineup card a little, but that has also been true of McCabe. And no matter what, the Maple Leafs would be leaning on Raddysh as the defenceman to carry the pairing rather than being carried or an equal partner. Ekman-Larsson would also allow for the Maple Leafs to find a bit more balance in the top four. The risk here is clear, though. Ekman-Larsson hasn’t been consistent in his success, and while 2025-26 had positive results, he is one year removed from barely hanging onto a bottom-pairing job.

The ideal option isn’t in the organization at the moment. The Maple Leafs still need another top-pairing defenceman. Odds of finding one in the next couple of months are limited. They will need to work with what they have.