The Maple Leafs have another chance to make a family story come to life, and this one comes with a brotherly twist.
After passing on a shot to claim Brandon Tanev when the Utah Mammoth put him on waivers for assignment to the AHL, Toronto could now have a different reunion in front of it: Taylor Raddysh, the brother of Leafs defenseman Darren Raddysh, is set to hit waivers from the New York Rangers on Sunday.
Rangers beat writer Mollie Walker reported that Raddysh and goaltender Dylan Garand were going on the wire, and that was later confirmed once waivers reset at 2 PM.
Raddysh, 28, put up 19 points in 68 games for New York last season. He also finished at plus-5, recorded 49 hits and had just 12 PIM while averaging 11:51 of ice time. He is signed to a $1.5M contract and will be a free agent after this season.
On paper, he would be a depth addition for Toronto. But this situation is bigger than that. The appeal here is the chance to put two brothers on the same team and make a family dream real.
Their father had a major impact on both players’ lives and used to take them to Maple Leafs games. That memory means a great deal to them, especially after his passing.
If Toronto did decide to make the move, it would be a genuinely heartwarming moment. And even if Taylor Raddysh only stayed for a short stretch, the chance to bring the brothers together would still carry real weight.
There’s also the hockey side of it. Darren Raddysh could get an extra jolt of motivation by sharing the room and the ice with his brother in Toronto. He has already shown how much this opportunity means to him, and a family connection like this could only add to that drive.
The Maple Leafs have not been active on waivers so far this offseason, but that doesn’t mean they’re done looking. With rosters due to be finalized by Monday night, the timing is right if Toronto wants to act.
Taylor Raddysh may not be the answer to the Leafs’ top six, and he may not be the hidden piece that suddenly changes everything. Still, he is a former 20-goal scorer with a meaningful tie to the organization, and he could become a small but memorable part of a bigger goal for the brothers: lifting the Stanley Cup, just as their father always dreamed of.
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