Maple Leafs claim Troy Stecher off waivers from Oilers

A veteran of 10 NHL seasons, Stecher originally joined the Oilers midway through the 2023-24 campaign by way of a trade with the Arizona Coyotes, who received a 2027 fourth-round pick in exchange for Stecher and a 2024 seventh-rounder. The Oilers subsequently signed Stecher to a two-year contract extension covering the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.

Stecher spent his junior years with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees before playing three seasons at the University of North Dakota between 2013 and 2016. He subsequently signed with his hometown Vancouver Canucks as an undrafted collegiate free agent, appearing in four seasons with the Canucks to begin his NHL career and establishing himself as a scrappy, dependable depth defender.

After signing with the Detroit Red Wings as an unrestricted free agent in 2020, Stecher made brief stops with the Los Angeles Kings, Calgary Flames, and Coyotes (twice) before arriving in Edmonton, where he played a secondary role in the Oilers reaching the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

In 566 career NHL games split between the Canucks, Red Wings, Kings, Flames, Coyotes, and Oilers, Stecher has collected 22 goals and 117 points. The 5’10” righty has added four goals and seven points in 29 career playoff contests with Vancouver, Los Angeles, and Edmonton.