Tampa Bay Lightning sign Darren Raddysh to two-year contract

The Tampa Bay Lightning have inked defenseman Darren Raddysh to a two-year, one-way contract worth $975,000 annually. Raddysh still has one year remaining on his previous two-way contract that pays him $775,000 in the NHL for this season. For whatever time he plays in the minors, he’ll make $250,000 yearly. He’s guaranteed $350,000 no matter how much of the season he plays in the AHL.

Raddysh can be considered an NHL success story. He was never drafted into the NHL during the five seasons he played for the Erie Otters in the OHL. As a 22-year-old he was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks to play for their AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs. He quickly became one of the better defenseman on the team and stayed in Rockford for almost two seasons, before being acquired by the New York Rangers in exchange for 266-game NHL veteran Peter Holland.

Raddysh continued to be the dependable force on the Hartford Wolfpack defense for the next three seasons. As he was seeing success in the American Hockey League, his NHL chances were dwindling as each season went by. The Rangers let him go to free agency after the 2020-21 season, when the Lightning took a chance on him.

He made his NHL debut during the 2021-22 season, playing four games in Tampa. The 2022-23 season was his true breakout campaign at 27 years old. He scored 51 points in 50 games for the Syracuse Crunch and earned a 17-game stint with the Lightning at the NHL level. He scored his first NHL goal as well as three assists in that span and became a regular on the back end during the team’s first-round playoff series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Toronto, Ontario native has carved out a role for himself in the Lightning’s future plans with the announcement of his two-year contract extension which is notably a one-way deal.