Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs may be able to find a hometown replacement for Morgan Rielly as Nick Kypreos believes Tampa Bay’s Darren Raddysh would be a perfect fit.
As the NHL roster freeze takes effect, no more trades can be done however teas are still able to sign extensions and are certainly going to be doing their homework for the next couple of weeks.
One name who could be dealt though not until the summer is Morgan Rielly, as the team looks to replace him potentially in the #1 defender slot, and need a much more consistent presence at the back end (one who can pass and shoot).
Toronto needs to go picking in the Raddysh fields: Kypreos
For Nick Kypreos, if the Maple Leafs wanted to move on from Rielly, they may have a great replacement in the form of Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Darren Raddysh.
Speaking on Real Kyper and Bourne, Kypreos explained that the Maple Leafs should target the Toronto-born Raddysh as a perfect replacement for Rielly not only because he offers the same level of offense — but comes with a booming shot to boot:
What will happen is that you move Morgan (Rielly) out and you go sign Raddysh from the Tampa Bay Lightning. As far as I’m concerned, it’s already done.. Toronto boy, he’s got a bomb of a shot which you haven’t had in years.
It feels like the last player who had a great shot from the point was Dion Phaneuf, and prior to that it was Bryan McCabe. The team has had playmakers and guys who can move the puck, but rarely have a guy who can clap it from the point.
Adding Raddysh is a bit of a double-edged sword because he really started to find his offensive stride this season and there is no guarantees that he can keep up the pace.
Toronto’s desperate need for a shot may lead them to explore all options
However, his 51 points in 48 games is nothing short of impressive, especially from a player with only 224 games under his belt. It’s that shot though that really brings a lot of hope.
Last year he had two 100+ MPH shots and once again was one of the hardest shots in the league in the 97th percentile and averaging 75.77 MPH. Compare it to Toronto’s hardest shot this season which is 95.96 MPH from Philippe Myers.
The team averages 57.69 MPH in total, which really isn’t that hard when you think about it and is helped considerably by Myers and Nick Robertson; the only two who feel like they wanna let it rip.
That’s the type of game-changing offensive player the team needs going forward, but he’s also going to be 30…it’s not like you’re really getting younger or faster.
But if the Maple Leafs decide to shift their focus on adding faster, younger puck movers this summer, then giving them a powerhouse of a shot is a pretty good foundation to build upon.
Previously on Hockey Patrol