The Maple Leafs got an early preseason jolt Saturday night, and it came from a familiar-looking weapon in a new sweater.
In Toronto’s split-squad meeting with the Canadiens, the game had already tilted into the kind of September evaluation exercise that matters more for individuals than for the scoreboard. Montreal had opened the scoring in the middle frame, but Darren Raddysh answered late in the second period with his first goal as a Maple Leaf.
It was the kind of finish that felt right for him. On the power play, Raddysh was stationed at the top of the point, took a handoff from captain Auston Matthews and let his shot fly. The puck clipped a couple of Canadiens on the way through before slipping behind the netminder and tying the game 1-1.
🔵 Double Doink Darren pic.twitter.com/kmy0UEPI9j
- Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) September 20, 2026
That sort of blast is exactly what Raddysh made a habit of last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, where 22 of his goals came in that general fashion - a hard slapshot, often a one-timer, fed into space and fired with authority. Now the Leafs get to see whether that same look can keep paying off with their own power-play talent, whether the setup comes from Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, McKenna or Knies.
And that’s where the intrigue lives for Toronto. Raddysh signed an eight-year contract with an $8.5-million AAV this summer, so every clean shot from the blue line carries a little extra weight. If the Leafs are going to get the kind of season they want from him, goals like this could become part of the routine.
It’s still preseason, of course, and that means the usual caution applies. But there’s still something to be said for seeing a new Leaf score in a way that already looks repeatable.
Toronto now moves on to its second set of split-squad games on Wednesday against the Senators, with one game in Toronto and another in Ottawa. After that, the preseason is done, and the Leafs open the regular season on September 29 against the Canadiens.
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Darren Raddysh scored Torontos lone goal, while rookie Gavin McKenna gave the club a glimpse of his playmaking touch even if the night included a penalty. For a Leafs team still sorting out its early preseason shape, the game was less about the scoreboard than the different levels of comfort shown by key veterans and younger pieces trying to carve out a role. [Read more 🡒]
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The moment fit the tone of a roster battle more than a tune-up, with every involved player trying to leave an impression before camp decisions get tougher. Pezzettas early exit came before teammate Teddy Blueger also fought in the same game, adding another layer of edge to a matchup that had already turned physical and given the Leafs another bit of evidence about who is willing to make noise in a depth role. [Read more 🡒]