Former NHLer explains why the Maple Leafs needed a guy like Troy Stecher
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Analyst Luke Gazdic appeared on the JD Bunkis podcast recently and explained why the addition of Troy Stecher to the blueline was exactly what the Maple Leafs needed.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs finally playing the way both the coaching staff and fans have wanted them to, it's been a much more enjoyable experience on and off the ice.
A surprisingly big part of that transformation has been due to the addition of Troy Stecher in the lineup.
A waiver claim a couple of weeks ago, he's added not only some much needed offense, but his heart and gritty style of play has given the defense new life, something they've felt lacking with the losses of Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo.
Edmonton let him go without seemingly another thought, and several reports showed that both fans and analysts were a bit shocked that to see Stecher leave.
What former NHLer Luke Gazdic said about Troy Stecher in Toronto
One of those surprised by Edmonton's decision was Sportsnet analyst and former NHLer Luke Gazdic, who broke it down on Sportsnet's JD Bunkis Podcast.
Gazdic explained that Stecher is a key player both on and off the ice, and the moment he heard that the Oilers were thinking of parting ways; he only had one team in mind.
Gazdic stated:
I just don't think it can be understated how much one player you add to the locker room, whatever brings up the morale. I just know what he meant to the Oilers locker room.
They were calling him 7th/8th defenseman. Hadn't played more than 17 minutes in three years, comes in and plays 10-15 mins; I know how highly the Oilers talked about him, so when I saw him on waivers I said the Leafs better do this.
On and off the ice he's great. This guy is playing 25 minutes a night, scoring goals, he's done more than you can ever ask of him. When things aren't going right, you always want a spark, even just adding a new player to your room, it's understated how big it is.
They were calling him 7th/8th defenseman. Hadn't played more than 17 minutes in three years, comes in and plays 10-15 mins; I know how highly the Oilers talked about him, so when I saw him on waivers I said the Leafs better do this.
On and off the ice he's great. This guy is playing 25 minutes a night, scoring goals, he's done more than you can ever ask of him. When things aren't going right, you always want a spark, even just adding a new player to your room, it's understated how big it is.
Gazdic played nearly 140 NHL games and now works full-time as a national analyst, so his read on Stecher's impact in the room carries some real weight.
It's been a bit remarkable how Stecher is someone who has come in and quietly turned the defense into one that's not only dangerous at both ends of the ice but consistent.
Over his first stretch of games in Toronto, Stecher and McCabe have controlled the bulk of the expected goals at five-on-five and outscored opponents. It's a small sample, but the early edge fits what we're seeing on the ice.
From «extra defenceman» to someone the Maple Leafs trust every night
Stecher's usage in Toronto is something to marvel at right now. In his six games with Edmonton, he averaged 13:37 TOI, but since coming over has over 19 minutes a game and has led the team in ice time in two of the last three games (though finished one second behind McCabe against Florida).
He's been honest in how he approaches the game, and showed unwavering confidence recently.
Give me the puck, I'm gonna score. And then most often, I'm going glass and out.
That's a bold line, but he's backing it up so far: four points, a plus-7 rating, 10 blocks and zero penalty minutes through his first eight games as a Maple Leaf. It's early, but it's exactly the kind of low-event, efficient hockey this blue line badly needed.
He's earned a lot of trust from Craig Berube simply because he plays his heart out, never giving up on a play and making sure that he either gets the puck out or gets the puck on net. It's a breath of fresh air for a team who was so heavily dependent on Morgan Rielly and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
For all the talk about what still needs to change for the Maple Leafs, the Stecher claim already looks like one of Brad Treliving's most important in-season moves. It was a low-cost fix that has helped balance both the room and the blue line, and nudged this group back toward looking like a contender.
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