Top free agent defenseman, and possible San Jose Sharks target, Darren Raddysh, won’t make it to the open market.

Late Thursday night, early Friday on the East Coast, NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman reported a sign-and-trade between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The official trade was announced Friday morning. Toronto acquired Raddysh and sent a 2026 NHL Draft 5th-round pick to Tampa Bay.

TRADE: We’ve acquired defenceman Darren Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Toronto’s fifth-round selection in the 2026 NHL Draft

— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 19, 2026

With the Lightning signing Raddysh before trading him, the Maple Leafs can have the d-man signed to an eight-year contract. That’s exactly what they did as Raddysh signed an eight-year, $8.5 million AAV contract. Raddysh is 30 years old and just enjoyed a breakout campaign in which he scored 22 goals and 48 assists.

As for the San Jose Sharks and the rest of the NHL, the No. 1 pending UFA defenseman didn’t even make it to July 1st. Sharks GM Mike Grier will speak to members of the media on Tuesday before the draft, where he could be asked if there is going to be interest in Raddysh. The sign-and-trade move signals that the Lightning were not going to be able to re-sign Raddysh at a price they were willing to pay.

But did the Sharks really miss out? In the immediate future, yes, they did, but long-term signing a 30-year-old to a long-term deal might make Team Teal more hesitant. The longest contract Grier has given out is a five-year contract to Kiefer Sherwood. If Raddysh wanted a long-term contract, the San Jose Sharks might’ve been less likely to offer that.

The addition of Michael Kesselring started the process of revamping the blue line for the San Jose Sharks. Not adding Raddysh is a bummer, but there are more options available. They are also likely at a price that Grier is more willing to pay. Given where the Sharks are in their rebuild, being smart with the salary cap is arguably the most important thing.

Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, Michael Misa, and Igor Chernyshov will all need new contacts in the near future. Smith and Celebrini could sign this summer, and getting this young core signed should remain the top priority.