Raddysh balancing ‘dynamic’ offense with ‘solid’ defense to help Bolts through injuries

Darren Raddysh smiled before admitting that perhaps becoming a father following the birth of his son, Beau, in late October has added some extra magic to his game this season.

The Lightning defenseman on Saturday credited luck, his teammates and extra ice time as he mostly played down what is quietly become one of the top offensive campaigns by any NHL defenseman in 2025-26.

The 29-year-old leads the Lightning blue line in goals (eight) and points (27). He recently tied the franchise record for the longest goal streak by a defenseman, scoring four goals over a three-game run from Dec. 9 to 13.

He was the focal point of a 4-1 win over St. Louis on Monday, scoring a goal and two assists to lead the Lightning in the team’s final game before the holiday break. He now sits in the league’s top 10 for scoring by a defenseman, and only Columbus’ Zach Werenski has more goals and points over the last calendar month among defensemen.

“I think I’m maybe getting a bit lucky and just trying to fill my role as best as possible and trying to help out as much as possible,” Raddysh said of his offense this year. “Obviously more playing time helps out a little bit, but I’m just trying to fill a role and do my job.”

That job has required more responsibility since the injury of captain Victor Hedman on Dec. 9, who required elbow surgery last week and will be out until February. Raddysh has been more than up for the task so far, joining JJ Moser in playing a bulk of the top pairing minutes while the team has been without Hedman as well as defenseman Erik Cernak.

Moser enjoys playing alongside Raddysh, saying No. 43 plays a “dynamic” game.

“It’s unreal to play with him because he's very active,” Moser said of Raddysh. “He's good at breakouts, and he’s good at getting up the ice. So if your side breaks the puck out, he's always there as an outlet, as a player you can pass to, as a guy that can join the rush and create offense. And then obviously, in the o-zone, he's very gifted. He sees the game very well, and he has an unreal shot.”

Raddysh logged a career-high 28:22 of ice time during a Dec. 13 game against the New York Islanders and has already established a career-high for goals in a season. He is playing 21:02 time on ice per game this season, nearly four minutes more than the 17:18 he averaged a season ago when he scored a career-high 37 points in 73 games.

Raddysh has recorded 28 shots over 90 mph this season, more than any other NHL player.

Moser said Raddysh’s shot is among the fastest he’s seen firsthand, competing only with Hedman. That serves as a fitting comparison, considering Raddysh has played with Hedman at times over the past several years while establishing himself as an NHL player.

Learning from the captain and a defensive mindset

Raddysh frequently tries to model his game after Hedman’s, particularly in the way Hedman sneaks his shot through traffic to the opposing net.

Only the captain’s 154 points since the start of the 2023-24 season top the 97 Raddysh has posted over the previous three campaigns among Lightning defensemen.

“He's a future Hall of Famer,” Raddysh said of Hedman. “Especially on the ice when you're in the o-zone and trying to pick up those reads and making sure you're getting pucks through and finding open guys and trying to play with confidence and poise, he does that unbelievably. I try to model my game a little bit after that, so it’s trying to pick up little things here and there and trying to emulate that.”

Some of that note-taking shows in this year’s NHL leaderboard—Raddysh was tied for 10th in NHL scoring among defensemen after Monday, while his eight goals tied John Klingberg for sixth. Only Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer (five) has more power-play goals among defensemen than Raddysh (four).

Monday marked Raddysh's fourth three-point game of the season, tied with Evan Bouchard and Werenski for most by an NHL defender.

“He’s been on an absolute tear,” Moser said of Raddysh. “He’s been right up there with all the big names, so it’s been very fun to see, and it’s very deservedly so.”

Raddysh’s third point on Monday was the 100th of his NHL career. He hit the mark in his 206th career game, becoming the second-fastest defenseman in team history to reach 100 points behind only Dan Boyle (172 GP).

And while the points have piled up again this year for Raddysh, those within the organization were also quick to talk about his growth away from the puck in 2025-26.

Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler credits Raddysh’s offense this season to growth in his defensive game.

“The offensive part has been better because of what he's done starting at our end. He's making plays out of our end that I've always felt like he has been able to make…and now he's making those plays consistently. Not spending time in the d-zone is a huge part of it. Energy for the o-zone is a huge part of it, because we're not spending time in the d-zone.”

That change is no coincidence, as Raddysh has been more conscious of his defensive game this season.

“Coming from the AHL, I was strictly offensive, and I didn't really focus on the defensive side. And then when you come here, guys are stronger, guys are bigger and faster, so you’ve got to be ready for that,” Raddysh said. “I think this year I really took an emphasis on trying to be harder to play against in my own zone and trying to protect the puck as best as possible. It's something that I take pride in as well.

“It's not just getting points and joining the rush, it's about not getting scored on and making sure you're good defensively.”

Tampa Bay continues to be without multiple defensemen due to injuries, and Raddysh has helped make those absences easier to stomach. He has done so at both ends of the ice.

“He's putting up a lot of minutes, and I’m very impressed by him,” Moser said. “I think what’s most impressive is he has been very solid defensively. He’s always been very good offensively, but he really has taken a big step defensively, too.”

Jake Guentzel thinks so, too.

“He's just been unbelievable. He's got a lethal shot, and when he gets open on the power play it's pretty cool to see what he can do,” Guentzel said of Raddysh. "He's playing unbelievable hockey, and he's been fun to watch."