Taylor Raddysh: A diamond in the rough?
It's safe to say that Chicago was shocked to see Brandon Hagel traded to Tampa Bay. Before everyone did their respective Google searches, fans knew two things � the Hawks acquired two conditional first-round picks and two players who would hardly see ice time on the Lightning.
While fans were skeptical and sad to see Hagel go, a lot of people on Twitter were excited. They realized (or remembered) that Taylor Raddysh played on the Erie Otters in the OHL alongside Dylan Strome and Alex Debrincat. Once pictures and throwbacks circulated, people started to get a little more excited.
After three games with the Blackhawks, Raddysh already had two goals and one assist playing on the second line. He earned 10 points through the rest of the season, which is three more than Hagel, and he also saw more time on the ice than he did on the Lightning.
Raddysh's contract is worth $2,275,000 with an AAV of $758,333; this is cheaper than Hagel's was and it goes through the 2023-2024 season.
In the next few years, we might see a star born in Raddysh. Playing with teammates from his Erie Otters days could help him have the confidence he couldn't find in Tampa Bay. We will see more of him next season, and if he plays anything like he did before, he might just become a fan favorite.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Taylor Raddysh will have a breakout season? | ||
| Heck yeah! | 66 | 32.5 % |
| No... | 73 | 36 % |
| I have no idea. | 64 | 31.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
