3 Potential Trade Destinations for Oilers’ Troy Stecher

With that in mind, here are three potential trade destinations for Stecher.

Carolina Hurricanes

There have been some rumblings that the Carolina Hurricanes have been gauging the market for a defender, so they are the first team that comes to mind as a fit for Stecher. They have proven previously that they are willing to take swings to improve their team, and while Stecher isn’t a superstar by any means, he is someone who could become a solid bottom-pairing option for them.

Stecher’s $787,500 cap hit makes him very affordable, and the Hurricanes can take him on without having to move out money. They don’t have a ton of draft capital for the 2026 NHL Draft, but could afford to move as much as a 2027 fifth-round pick, since they own their own and the Chicago Blackhawks’ pick that year.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning are an interesting team to add as an option here, but they should be taking a look at Stecher. Some fans have complained about their depth defenders as they try to make another deep playoff run this season, as there is some concern that they might not have the defenders to make a push for a Stanley Cup.

Adding a veteran like Stecher, who has playoff experience, would make sense. He is a better defender than Emil Lilleberg, who could use some time in the American Hockey League (AHL), and they are another team that can easily fit Stecher’s contract in with someone else being assigned to the AHL.

That’s not to say Lilleberg isn’t a good defender, because he will be, as he has a lot of potential, but they could be better off having him as an organizational depth option behind Stecher, who provides some internal competition, rather than relying on him to play as often as he does.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are another team that could take a look at Stecher, for the sole purpose of adding internal competition for their young defensive core. There aren’t any concerns about their cap issues, and they can fit Stecher in without having to make another move, and they have plenty of assets to make a trade.

Stecher would be in a similar situation with the Blackhawks as he is with the Oilers, which may not interest him, but it wouldn’t be surprising if they at least did their due diligence, and with the Oilers claiming they want to find him a soft landing, they may do him a favour and send him somewhere where he will play every night. However, he may be open to joining them, as he will still likely play more games than he will with the Oilers over the course of the season.

The Blackhawks have come out of the gates strong and seem poised to have a decent season, but considering they will likely be outside of the playoffs, having a guy like Stecher to keep morale high wouldn’t be the worst option.

There is no indication that any of these teams has an interest in Stecher. The only thing that has been stated is that there are teams around the league who would be interested in him, should he be made available, and according to Elliotte Friedman, he is. Time will tell what the Oilers end up doing with him, or if they trade him at all, but any of these three teams being his next landing spot wouldn’t surprise me.

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