Maple Leafs acquire defenseman Darren Raddysh in blockbuster sign-and-trade
Maple Leafs acquire defenseman Darren Raddysh in blockbuster sign-and-trade
Darren Raddysh had a breakthrough campaign in 2025-26, recording 22 goals and 70 points. Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images
By James Mirtle and Chris JohnstonJune 19, 2026 UpdatedThe Toronto Maple Leafs beat the market by landing one of the NHL’s top pending free agents in a blockbuster sign-and-trade deal on Friday morning.
The Leafs acquired offensive defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick and signed him to an eight-year contract, the team announced.
Raddysh’s extension will carry an average annual value of $8.5 million a season, a league source said. The contract includes a full no-trade clause for the first six years and a 16-team no-trade clause for the last two years.
The deal is frontloaded, with a $10 million signing bonus to be paid on July 1 and a total of $32.5 million to be paid over the first three seasons.
The payday makes Raddysh, 30, one of the highest paid defensemen in the NHL after having never earned more than $975,000 in any previous season.
“We are thrilled to add a defenseman of Darren’s caliber to our organization,” said Leafs GM John Chayka. “Darren has emerged as one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, combining elite puck-moving ability with poise, competitiveness, and strong play in all three zones. He strengthens our blue line in every situation and is exactly the type of player we want helping lead this team.”
The Lightning engaged in negotiations with Raddysh before trading his rights to an Atlantic Division rival, but were unwilling to offer a contract for anywhere near the same money or term as the Leafs gave him, according to league sources.
A Toronto native, Raddysh had a breakthrough campaign in 2025-26, recording 22 goals and 70 points, which ranked seventh among defensemen leaguewide. After years in the minor leagues and as a depth contributor, he played a pivotal role for the Lightning after Tampa Bay’s blue line was decimated with injuries, including quarterbacking their top power play unit.
A right shot, Raddysh will immediately become one of the Leafs’ top defensemen, joining a team in flux after they finished fifth last in the overall standings. He is the second defenseman acquired by new Leafs GM John Chayka this week after Toronto added Emil Andrae from the Philadelphia Flyers in a trade that included goaltender Joseph Woll going the other way.
When Chayka was hired last month, he promised to be aggressive in remaking the blue line after identifying it as an area of concern. “The way the team breaks the puck out, the way they defend, the way they move through the neutral zone, I think there needs to be a change of the mix. Or change the strategy,” he said.
A busy week for the Leafs also included Wednesday’s hiring of head coach Jim Hiller, a power-play specialist who immediately finds himself with another weapon in Raddysh.
Undrafted out of the Ontario Hockey League a decade ago, Raddysh spent the majority of his first six seasons as a pro in the AHL split between the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Lightning’s affiliates. His first full season in the NHL was just two years ago in 2023-24 with Tampa Bay.
Average-sized at 6-foot-1 and 201 pounds, Raddysh boasts one of the hardest shots from the point in the league, which is a significant need for Toronto. Not a dynamic skater, he instead relies on his hockey sense to make plays and is considered strong on the breakout.
Given his 2025-26 season was such a career outlier, Raddysh was considered the most high-risk, high-reward free agent in the NHL this offseason.
Prior to signing Raddysh, the Leafs had $27 million in salary cap space and were projected to be one of the most aggressive teams in Chayka’s first offseason at the helm. They now have six defensemen signed to NHL contracts, including Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Chris Tanev, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Brandon Carlo and Philippe Myers.
Rielly, the Leafs’ top offensive defenseman the past 13 seasons, has been featured prominently in recent trade rumors and is expected to waive his no-movement clause for a new destination in the coming weeks.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
