Troy Stecher named as odd man out after Oilers make their highly anticipated defense trade

Ty Emberson and Troy Stecher have been in a battle to prove themselves as a defender who could stick with the team through the playoffs. Emberson is now getting traction for a contract extension, showing the team thinks Stecher is the odd man out, too.

Edmonton Oilers searching for Troy Stecher replacement in Trade

In the Oilers' last disappointing loss to the Anaheim Ducks, Stecher took an unacceptable amount of eight penalty minutes. His overall level of play seems to be teetering on the edge, and taking those extra penalties won't help.

The Oilers have extra depth help coming with waiver claim Alec Regula, but he's only just started skating after recovering from knee surgery.

However, the real upgrade will come from the trade market this season. The Oilers will be in on pretty much every available top-four defenseman in trade to make a real impact on the ice.

Oilers insider Bob Stauffer has reported the team is looking for a left-shot puck-moving defenseman who can play the right side, potentially Mike Matheson from the Montreal Canadiens.

Troy Stecher has been a great stopgap player this year and can serve as a quality seventh defender, but come playoff time, he'll be the player the Oilers want an upgrade on.