John Chayka and the Maple Leafs may be acquiring the missing piece to their puzzle via trade

Taylor Raddysh has landed on Toronto's radar, giving Jim Hiller another potential piece for a Maple Leafs bottom six that still needs definition.

Toronto reportedly could have interest in acquiring the New York Rangers winger before the 2026-27 season begins. The connection gives the Maple Leafs another experienced option as they continue shaping their forward group.

Raddysh isn't being discussed as a blockbuster addition. His appeal comes from filling a narrower role Toronto could use: size on the wing, NHL experience and secondary scoring without needing top-six deployment.

The 28-year-old recorded 9 goals and 19 points across 68 games with New York last season. He averaged 11:51 per night while working primarily in a bottom-six role.

That profile could fit a Maple Leafs team looking for useful depth rather than another forward who needs heavy offensive minutes to make an impact.

There's another layer that makes the possibility more interesting. Toronto already acquired Taylor's brother, Darren Raddysh, earlier this summer after his breakout season with Tampa Bay.

Taylor Raddysh could fit Toronto's unfinished bottom six

The Rangers have created more competition around Taylor Raddysh after adding Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand. Younger forwards are also pushing for roster spots, putting his opening-night role under pressure.

That could create the opening Toronto needs. New York hasn't been reported as actively shopping Raddysh, but a crowded forward group gives Chris Drury decisions to make before puck drop.

Raddysh is also under contract after signing a two-year, $3,000,000 deal with the Rangers last offseason. That gives Toronto cost certainty if talks move beyond preliminary interest.

For Hiller, the attraction would be straightforward. Raddysh can slide into the bottom six without forcing a major lineup reshuffle, while giving the bench another winger with 373 regular-season games of NHL experience.

Toronto doesn't need every summer move to reshape the top six. Sometimes the missing piece is the player who stabilizes the minutes underneath it.

And if the Rangers' roster squeeze turns Raddysh into an available piece, the Maple Leafs may already be watching closely.

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