Troy Stecher might’ve arrived in Toronto under the radar, but he’s quickly making sure everyone knows his name.
Claimed off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers, the 31-year-old defenseman has wasted no time making an impact with the Maple Leafs. In Toronto’s 4-1 win over the Florida Panthers, Stecher not only found the back of the net for the first time this season, but also added an assist-capping off a performance that showcased exactly why he’s becoming a key piece of this Leafs blue line.
His goal came from the point, a clean shot that beat Sergei Bobrovsky and gave the Leafs a jolt of energy. But it wasn’t just the scoring that stood out.
It was the way Stecher played-fast, aggressive, and composed. It’s the type of all-around game that’s catching the eye of head coach Craig Berube.
“He is playing with a ton of confidence right now,” Berube said postgame. “He is very composed.
He and Jake McCabe look like they have instant chemistry right now, which is great. They are moving the puck extremely well.”
And that chemistry isn’t just a nice-to-have-it’s a game-changer for a Leafs team that’s struggled at times defensively this season. Stecher’s ability to close gaps, push the pace, and facilitate clean zone exits is giving Toronto a much-needed boost on the back end. It’s not flashy, but it’s effective-and it’s exactly what the Leafs need.
“When you talk about pace, Stecher plays with pace out there,” Berube added. “He closes on people, he skates, and he gets up the ice. He is doing a lot of good things.”
That speed and tenacity were on full display against Florida, and it turns out Stecher had a bit of a feeling about it. Before the game, he told teammates Easton Cowan and Nick Robertson that he was going to score. Sure enough, he made good on that promise.
Berube admitted he didn’t know much about Stecher before he joined the team, but he’s been impressed with what he’s seen so far-on and off the ice.
“You don’t know a guy until you get him, a lot of the time,” Berube said. “You watch people play, and you watch other teams play, but until you get a guy, you don’t know the personality.
You don’t know what he is all about. But this guy is a highly focused hockey player.
He is very team-oriented. He brings a lot of energy to our team and a lot of pace to our team back there.”
And the numbers back it up. With Stecher on the ice, Toronto holds a plus-five goal differential and a 62.7% share of expected goals, per Natural Stat Trick. That’s not just solid-that’s dominant.
It’s worth noting that Stecher’s rise has come in part due to injuries on the Leafs’ blue line. But he’s not just filling in-he’s earning his spot. He’s making the most of his minutes, and then some.
For a Leafs team looking to tighten up defensively and find consistency, Stecher’s emergence is one of the more encouraging developments of the season. And as they get ready to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday, it’s clear that Stecher isn’t just a depth addition-he’s becoming a difference-maker.