2026 UFA winners and losers: Leafs swing big, Oilers dodge cap bullet
Toronto’s aggressive rebuild, Edmonton’s cap maneuver, and Washington’s Tuch coup set the tone for 2026-27 playoff races.
The Toronto Maple Leafs swung hardest on Day 1 of the 2026 NHL free-agency frenzy, landing right-shot defenseman Darren Raddysh on a three-year deal before July 1. The move caps a defensive makeover aimed at fixing Toronto’s blue-line depth without mortgaging the future. Raddysh, 27, tallied 32 points in 2025-26 and logged heavy minutes in Tampa Bay’s playoff runs, giving the Leafs a puck-moving presence who can play with Morgan Rielly or Timothy Liljegren.
