Maple Leafs claim defenceman Troy Stecher from Oilers

The Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed Edmonton Oilers defenceman Troy Stecher off waivers.

The Oilers placed the 31-year-old on waivers Friday, also assigning Isaac Howard to the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors, with Zach Hyman returning from the Long-Term Injured Reserve.

Stecher was acquired by the Oilers in March 2024 at the NHL trade deadline from the Arizona Coyotes along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick. He’s appeared in 79 regular season games over the past three seasons for the Oilers, scoring three goals and nine points, including eight playoff games during last season’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.

A pending unrestricted free agent making $787,500, rumours swirled that Stecher had been on the trading block, with the Oilers looking to find him a “soft landing,” after drawing in for six games this season.

Stecher now joins a Maple Leafs team that has struggled early on this season, going 8-8-2 through their first 18 games of the season. Their defensive game has been a major deficiency, allowing a league-leading 3.45 goals against per hour at five-on-five. He’ll be in competition again for a depth role, vying for minutes with Simon Benoit, Dakota Mermis and Philippe Myers.

For the Oilers, it solidifies spots on the blue line for Alec Regula and Ty Emberson, who will likely be in and out of the lineup on a rotational basis. The team will now run a roster of 22 players, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins still on the injured reserve, and Kasperi Kapanen working his way back from the Long-Term Injured Reserve.

Hyman returns to the Oilers lineup for Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes (5 pm MT), returning to his spot on the top line alongside Connor McDavid and Matt Savoie. After Saturday’s game, Edmonton’s road trip continues Monday visiting the Buffalo Sabres, Wednesday against the Washington Capitals, Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning, closing it out next Saturday against the Florida Panthers.