The Leafs Lab Ep. 11: Joseph Woll is Traded, Jim Hiller is Hired, and Darren Raddysh Comes Home

This might be the most chaotic week of the offseason yet — and we have a lot to sort through.We start with the shocking Joseph Woll trade (1:15). We break down why the Leafs cashed in on his peak value now, what it says about their belief in Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby, and how it clears a path for Artur Akhtyamov. Plus, we dive into the return: why we're fascinated by the high-upside bet on the fiercely competitive Emil Andrae and how his puck-moving game brings a much needed element to the team's blue line. From there, we pivot to the bench and the official Jim Hiller hiring (25:10). We admit to our initial overreaction and explain how his progressive background with video tracking, his power-play success with Auston Matthews, and his stingy defensive structures in LA won us over.Then, we tackle the absolute blockbuster news of the morning: the Darren Raddysh sign-and-trade (54:40). We look at how bringing a top-pair defenseman home from Tampa makes all the sense in the world. We break down his elite puck skills, his absolute rocket of a power-play shot, and why a max-term megadeal is a risk the Leafs had to take.Let's get into it.Intro/Outro music by Chad WaltSpotify: (https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gaejVfjk7KebwksgFtw13)Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/officialchadwalt/)Like, share, and subscribe for more episodes of The Leafs Lab Podcast. You can find us on all major platforms—just search The Leafs Lab Podcast.Follow us on Twitter @nylanderthews (https://x.com/nylanderthews) and @TheLeafZone44 (https://x.com/TheLeafZone44). Feel free to reach out with any questions, topics, or ideas you’d like us to cover. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.